Hanged vs. Hung: What's the Difference?
Learn when the past tense of hang is hanged or hung, including execution, suspended objects, figurative phrases, examples, a quiz, and FAQs.
Use hung for nearly every past-tense meaning of hang: pictures were hung, coats hung by the door, and a decision hung in the balance. Use hanged specifically for a person put to death by hanging. The distinction concerns meaning, not simply whether the object is a person.
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At 11:05 a.m., a museum caption says a portrait was “hanged in the gallery.” No execution occurred; the artwork was displayed from a support, so the correct form is “hung in the gallery.”
Hanged vs. Hung at a glance
| Word | Typical role | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hanged | Specialized past tense | put to death by suspension from the neck | Historical records state that the prisoner was hanged. |
| hung | General past tense and participle | suspended, displayed, attached, or remained | They hung the new sign above the entrance. |
How to use hanged
Hanged is reserved in careful modern usage for execution by hanging. The subject is a person, but personhood alone is not the test: a person can be hung upside down, hung from a harness, or hung in a photograph when no execution is meant.
Historical records state that the prisoner was hanged.
How to use hung
Hung covers ordinary physical suspension and figurative uses: hung a picture, hung curtains, hung in the air, and hung on every word. It also appears after has, have, or had for these meanings.
They hung the new sign above the entrance.
Rules that make the choice easier
Use hanged only for execution
When the intended meaning is execution by suspension from the neck, hanged is the conventional form.
Use hung for objects and display
Pictures, clothing, signs, decorations, and most people suspended without execution take hung.
Use hung in idioms
Expressions such as hung in the balance, hung up, and hung on a word use the general form.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Incorrect: The painting was hanged. Correct: The painting was hung.
- Do not choose hanged merely because the subject is human.
- Do not replace established idioms such as hung in the balance with hanged.
Quick practice
1. The curtains were ___ yesterday.
Answer: hung
2. The law once allowed convicted pirates to be ___.
Answer: hanged
3. The outcome ___ in the balance.
Answer: hung
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hanged and hung?
Hanged refers to execution; hung covers nearly all other meanings of hang.
Is a picture hanged or hung?
A picture is hung.
Is a person always hanged?
No. Use hanged only for execution; otherwise a person may be hung or suspended.
Is it hung in the balance or hanged?
The idiom is hung in the balance.