How to Use Rang or Rung (Irregular Verb Forms)

The verb ring used in text messages.

The verb ring used in text messages. Made by Gflex on
Canva.

Is it “rang” or “rung”?

Is it, the phone rang or rung? More specifically, what’s the correct past tense of the verb, ring?

Let’s ring in on this lesson, folks!

Usage Note

✓ The telephone rang loudly, startling me from my sleep.
✓ I rang my mother earlier to wish her a happy birthday.
✗ The bell rung three times before anyone answered.
✗ She rung me up to discuss the project details.

Meaning & Forms of “Ring”

As a verb, to ring means something “sounds resonantly or sonorously”—for example: the doorbell rang.

Colloquially, it can also mean to phone or call someone: I’ll ring you later means “call you later”.

This is different from its use as a noun (a piece of jewelry you wear on your finger, like an engagement ring).

12 Verb Tenses of “Ring”

	Present	Past	Future
Simple	I ring	I rang	I will ring
Continuous	I am ringing	I was ringing	I will be ringing
Perfect	I have rung	I had rung	I will have rung
Perfect Continuous	I have been ringing	I had been ringing	I will have been ringing

When to Use Rang vs. Rung

Word Form	Example Sentence
Past Tense	simple past: The doorbell rang just now.
Past Participle	past perfect: She had rung the doorbell twice before someone finally opened it.

To communicate in the perfect tense, use “had/have/has” + “rung” (past participle). The simple past just uses “rang” with no helper verb.

Irregular Verbs Like “Ring”

Base Verb	Past Tense	Past Participle
stink	stank	stunk
shrink	shrank	shrunk
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
ring	rang	rung
spring	sprang	sprung
drink	drank	drunk

Note: Not all verbs that rhyme with “ring” follow this pattern. For example, “bring” and “sting” become “brought” and “stung” in both simple past and past participle forms.

“Ring” in the Present & Past Tense

Present tense examples:

We were startled by the ring of my cell phone.
Just ring for the nurse if you need her!
I’m just waiting for the phone to ring.
No good calls ring in at that time of night.
Will you answer the telephone if it starts ringing?

Past tense examples:

His phone rang as he reached for a dumbbell.
The phone rang ten times before Lisa gave up.
The church bells rang.
She realized the doorbell had rung not once but twice.
The bell has rung for a long time.

💡 Study Tip

Remember:
“Rang” is the simple past tense of “ring”.
“Rung” is the past participle (used with “have”, “has”, or “had”).
Focus on the sentence context to choose the right form!