Ring vs Wring: Difference and Comparison

Ring and wring are homophones where “w” in wring is silent. The “ring” is a word that has multiple meanings depending on the context, but “wring” only has a singular meaning.

Wring, though it is not a complicated English word, the application of it in normal conversation is not very common.

Key Takeaways

1. “Ring” is a circular object or the act of surrounding something, while “wring” means to twist or squeeze forcibly.
2. “Ring” can also refer to a bell or telephone sound, while “wring” describes extracting liquid from an object.
3. Both words have different meanings and functions in English, with “ring” being a noun and verb and “wring” only a verb.

Ring vs Wring

A ring can be a band in a circular shape. A sound produced by a bell is also called a ring. The ring can have multiple meanings depending on its use in a particular scenario. The ring is also a type of jewellery which is worn on fingers. Squeezing an object is called wring. Squeezing washed clothes to force the water out is also called wring.

When speaking of a ring, several scenarios pop up in our minds. From a man proposing to his partner with a diamond ring to police trying to expose a drug ring, this word has several meanings. Ring also means to encircle or encompass an area.

When a person tries to squeeze out water just after washing clothes, that specific action is referred to as wring. Many times, we try to squeeze ketchup or any items from its package, in that case also wring can be used as a verb.  

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Ring	Wring
Meaning	The meaning of the ring is different when used as a noun and when used as a verb.	Wring is a verb that refers to squeezing and twisting an object mainly to force liquid out of it.
Etymology	In the English language, the word “ring” has been derived from Dutch and German words.	Wring has its roots in Old English, Dutch, and Proto-Germanic words like wringhen and wringan.
Pronunciation	The ring has the same pronunciation as the spelling of the word.	The “w” in wring is not given much emphasis while pronouncing and hence it sounds like the pronunciation of ring.
Noun	As a noun, a ring is described as a piece of jewelry, a circular band that is put on a finger.	Wring is not used as a noun in the sentence.
Verb	As a verb, a ring is used to describe a type of sound made by a doorbell or phone.	As a verb, wring means to twist or squeeze something.
Example	The phone was ringing constantly for an hour.	Wring all the water from the towel and hang it.

What is a Ring?

The application of the word ring in a sentence and what type of meaning it expresses can be explained using various examples.

When one is trying to use the word ring as a piece of jewellery, the sentence formation will be different from someone trying to use the same word to express the rhythmic sound of a doorbell.

Several examples are given below to explain the application of the word.

1. She suddenly woke up in the middle of the night when she heard the phone ringing.
2. He left the engagement ring and the letter on her doorstep.
3. Diamond rings are very mainstream when it comes to marriage proposals.
4. Does the name Kate ring any bells?
5. She speculated on the ring for a long time to check if it is made of pure gold.
6. He rang the doorbell exactly three times.
7. Police ringed the courthouse such that the felonies could not escape.
8. The reporter from Washington Herald finally exposed the head of the drug ring.

If one goes through these examples, one can understand the implementation of the word ring in various situations. It becomes easier to understand when using the word by yourself may, be in an essay or a conversation.

What is Wring?

Wring is a transitive verb that can be used as wringing and wrung as well. It is used to explain squeezing or twisting something mainly to extract the liquid out of it.

Wring is also used as an expression when someone tries to force some secret or truth out of someone. Though the general meaning of wring is the same, twisting or squeezing, it can also be used to threaten someone (wringing any body parts).

Given below are some examples to understand the application of the word in several ways.

1. Her love story still wrings my heart.
2. If I see you anywhere near my family, I will wring you out.
3. Wring the clothes properly, and they hang them on the terrace.
4. The senior boys in the high school threatened some of the juniors to wring their necks.
5. The policeman wrung a confession out of the culprit.
6. I wrung the juice box until I squeezed the last drop of juice.  
7. Wring the towel gently after washing it in lukewarm water.
8. She wrung the bottle so hard that it got deformed.

Main Differences Between Ring and Wring

1. The ring is used as both a noun and a verb, whereas wring is only used as a verb.
2. The verb form of the ring means a sound normally made by a phone or a doorbell constantly, whereas wring means to twist any object to force liquid from it.
3. The noun form of the ring means a piece of jewellery given while proposing to a partner, whereas wring doesn’t have other meanings as a noun.
4. Some synonyms of the ring are round, hoop, and encircle, whereas some synonyms of wring/wringing are extract, twist, and press.
5. Rang or rung is used for expressing the past tense of ring whereas only wrung is used for the past tense of wring.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03197027
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027720302687