# Dialect poll: How do you pronounce the simple past tense of "ring", as a bell? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819 "2012-07-20T05:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/1 "2012-07-20T05:30:17Z")
From the Wikipedia article on California English, [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_English): > [@](#): > > Front vowels are raised before /ŋ/, so that /æ/ and /ɪ/ are raised to [e] and \* before /ŋ/. This change makes for minimal pairs such as king and keen, both having the same vowel \*, differing from king [kɪŋ] in other varieties of English. Similarly, a word like _ **rang** _ will often have the same vowel as _ **rain** _ in California English, not the same vowel as ran as in other varieties. I didn’t know there was such a thing as California English, but I have to concede that my pronunciation of the language is pretty well described by the article. However, when it comes to the word _rang_ I didn’t know there was any other way to say it than something like “rayng”. The vowel I’m accustomed to using and hearing isn’t _exactly_ like the vowel sound in _rain_, because the consonant /ŋ/ colors the preceding vowel a little differently from the way /n/ does it. But in situations where a rhyme was called for, my judgement would be that _rang_ does rhyme with _rain_. In _The Addams Family_, Lurch the butler would reply to Gomez or Morticia, “You ræææææng?”, but I thought that pronunciation was meant to be part of the character’s humor. My question for the SDMB community is this: how do you pronounce the word _rang_? Also please give your country or region if so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/2 "2012-07-20T05:34:06Z")
Midwest (Wisconsin) I say Rang like Range and Rain. I’m not good with the wiki pronunciation guides, what’s the other way of saying it? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/3 "2012-07-20T05:35:47Z")
I live in the Midwest, Michigan to be specific and I pronounce it the same way “rayng”. The only other similar phrase I hear is “rung”. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/4 "2012-07-20T05:41:27Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I live in the Midwest, Michigan to be specific and I pronounce it the same way “rayng”. The only other similar phrase I hear is “rung”. It seems like it’s more a North American pronunciation, then a specifically Californian one. BTW thanks for bringing up “rung”, which many people use in place of “rang” for the preterite. I should specify that the question is addressed to those who do use the simple past “rang”. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/5 "2012-07-20T05:44:53Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I didn’t know there was such a thing as California English, You know, I’ve seen that page, and I must say that it serves as a good example of Wikipedia trying a little bit too hard. By its own admission–and by some of the points made in the very same article–it should know better than to make such broadly definitive statements for a population like that of CA. That said, what’s in this particular quote more or less describes my own pronunciation–except the one for _rang_. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/6 "2012-07-20T05:45:27Z")
Ring’d ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/7 "2012-07-20T06:03:07Z")
I’d never say “rang” rhymes with “rain.” “Rang” has a short A, and “rain” has a long one. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/8 "2012-07-20T06:12:14Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’d never say “rang” rhymes with “rain.” “Rang” has a short A, and “rain” has a long one. When you say “long A” and “short A,” are you talking about the one in _fat, fate, father, haul_, or _faux_? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/9 "2012-07-20T11:30:38Z")
I also use the ai or rain. I’ve never heard anyone do differently. Hardly California English. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/10 "2012-07-20T11:47:40Z")
I say rang to rhyme with bang and hang. It’s a short a closest to ran and can, no rain sound at all. I lived in Maryland for most of my life, in Ohio for the past twelve years. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/11 "2012-07-20T12:01:16Z")
Rang to rhyme with fang/tang, sounds like the a in fat. Rain to rhyme with train, sounds more like fate. Has more of a ‘ray’ sound to it which I think comes from the i. (Australian via NZ/UK/US). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/12 "2012-07-20T16:56:21Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I say rang to rhyme with bang and hang. It’s a short a closest to ran and can, no rain sound at all. I lived in Maryland for most of my life, in Ohio for the past twelve years. Interesting. Rang, bang and hang have vowels that for me come nowhere close to the vowels in ran or can. I’m not from California 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/13 "2012-07-20T17:02:36Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > When you say “long A” and “short A,” are you talking about the one in _fat, fate, father, haul_, or _faux_? fat = short A fate = long A “Rang” has the same A as “fat.” ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/14 "2012-07-20T17:04:56Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Interesting. > > Rang, bang and hang have vowels that for me come nowhere close to the vowels in ran or can. > > I’m not from California 🙂 When I say ran and rang repeatedly, the sound as well as the shapes and motions of my mouth are the same until I hit the g. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/15 "2012-07-20T17:12:01Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Interesting. > > Rang, bang and hang have vowels that for me come nowhere close to the vowels in ran or can. > > I’m not from California 🙂 From the UK: “Rang” is pronounced like “ran” or “rag” except with a nasal “ng” sound (ŋ). It’s a short “a”, as in “cat”. In IPA, I’d pronounce it as _ræŋ_. I’ve never heard it with the “rain” vowel. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/16 "2012-07-20T17:17:12Z")
I say the ‘a’ as if I were saying the word “Ray” or “fate”. Angst, rang, pang, sang, wang, dang, ray, fate, rag all have the same ‘a’ sound. (Long ‘a’) Cat, fat, hat, sat, rat, ran all have the same ‘a’ sound. (Short ‘a’). I tried and tried to use the shot ‘a’, as if I were saying “Rat” but change the last sound to the ‘ng’, but I can’t get the ‘ng’ to work. I physically can’t do it ☹ I’m broken! Oh, I was Born in North Dakota, but have lived in ND, SD, NV, AZ, TX, MS, AL and NC. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/17 "2012-07-20T17:24:12Z")
MI here. I pronounce it exactly as the first syllable of “wrangler” or to rhyme with the first syllable of “anger”. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/18 "2012-07-20T17:25:05Z")
When I say “rang”, I think the vowel somewhere between the vowels in “Haig” and “hag”, but closer to the latter. (From SK, Canada.) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/19 "2012-07-20T17:35:35Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > When you say “long A” and “short A,” are you talking about the one in _fat, fate, father, haul_, or _faux_? I wouldn’t say “faux” has any kind of “A” sound in it. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819/20 "2012-07-20T21:03:23Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I wouldn’t say “faux” has any kind of “A” sound in it. I guess that was part of my point. Letters don’t intrinsically “make sounds.” We use them to _represent_ the sounds that we produce with our mouths, tongues, etc., with varying degrees of consistency. English has over 20 vowels, but to use letters to refer to sounds with terms like “long A” and “short A” is to imply that there are only 10 vowels in English. I think this becomes even more problematic when dealing with things like r-coloring, or nasals such as the one _rang_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dialect-poll-how-do-you-pronounce-the-simple-past-tense-of-ring-as-a-bell/628819.md?page=2)