hang

/ˈhæŋ/

//ˈhæŋ// verb

"hang" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hang” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,487. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,487
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - To be or remain suspended.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hang · hang · English

hang · rank #2,487 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,487
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH goods

Nearest frequency peer: goods (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “hang”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “hang” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hang vs HG
0% similar
hang vs hn
50% similar
hang vs has
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hang
PropertyValue
Headwordhang
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈhæŋ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,487
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hang” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). hang lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around hang (IPA /ˈhæŋ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,487 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 21 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hang, with forms such as "ahng", "hagn", and "hangg". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "HG", "hn", "has", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hangen, hongen, from a fusion of Old English hōn (“to hang, be hanging”, transitive verb) and hangian (“to hang, cause to hang”, intransitive verb), respectively from the transitive verb Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han and the intransitive v… The correct English form is hang, spelled H-A-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be or remain suspended.
  2. 2
    To float, as if suspended.
  3. 3
    To veer in one direction.
  4. 4
    To rebound unexpectedly or unusually slowly, due to backward spin on the ball or imperfections of the ground.
  5. 5
    To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect.
  6. 6
    To cause (something) to be suspended, as from a hook, hanger, hinges, or the like.
  7. 7
    To kill (someone) by suspension from the neck, usually as a form of execution or suicide.
  8. 8
    To be executed by suspension by one's neck from a gallows, a tree, or other raised bar, attached by a rope tied into a noose.
  9. 9
    (used in maledictions) To damn.
  10. 10
    To loiter; to hang around; to spend time idly.
  11. 11
    To exhibit (an object) by hanging.
  12. 12
    To apply (wallpaper or drywall to a wall).
  13. 13
    To decorate (something) with hanging objects.
  14. 14
    To remain persistently in one's thoughts.
  15. 15
    To prevent from reaching a decision, especially by refusing to join in a verdict that must be unanimous.
  16. 16
    To stop responding to manual input devices such as the keyboard and mouse.
  17. 17
    To cause (a program or computer) to stop responding.
  18. 18
    To cause (a piece) to become vulnerable to capture.
  19. 19
    To be vulnerable to capture.
  20. 20
    To throw a hittable off-speed pitch.
  21. 21
    To attach or cause to stick (a charge or accusation, etc.).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hang appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The lights hung from the ceiling.
  2. On the dark-green walls hung a series of eight engravings, portraits of early Victorian belles, clad in lace and tarletan ball dresses, clipped from an old Book of Beauty. Mrs. Bunting was very fond of these pictures; she thought they gave the drawing-room a note of elegance and refinement.

Etymology

From Middle English hangen, hongen, from a fusion of Old English hōn (“to hang, be hanging”, transitive verb) and hangian (“to hang, cause to hang”, intransitive verb), respectively from the transitive verb Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han and the intransitive verb *hangēn; also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja (“to suspend”) and hanga (“to be suspended”); all from Proto-Germanic *hanhaną and *hangāną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenk- (“to waver, be in suspense”). See also Dutch hangen, Low German hangen and hängen, German hängen, Norwegian Bokmål henge, Norwegian Nynorsk henga; also Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (hāhan), Hittite 𒂵𒀀𒀭𒂵 (/⁠kānk-⁠/, “to hang”), Sanskrit शङ्कते (śáṅkate, “is in doubt, hesitates”), Latin cūnctārī (“to delay”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahng
  • hagn
  • hangg
  • hanng
  • hhang
  • hnag

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hang - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ahng2hagn2hangg1hanng1hhang1hnag2
Edit distance from "hang"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hang"?
"hang" is spelled H-A-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhæŋ/.
What does "hang" mean?
As a verb, "hang" means: To be or remain suspended.
What words are commonly confused with "hang"?
"hang" is commonly confused with "HG", "hn", "has". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hang"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hang" is /ˈhæŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hang"?
From Middle English hangen, hongen, from a fusion of Old English hōn (“to hang, be hanging”, transitive verb) and hangian (“to hang, cause to hang”, intransitive verb), respectively from the transitive verb Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han and the intr... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hang", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list