'Hanger' is the hook or frame you hang clothes on; 'hangar' is the large building where aircraft are stored.
Noun. A shaped frame, usually of plastic, metal, or wood, on which clothes are hung. Also: any device designed to hang something.
She hung her coat on the hanger behind the door before sitting down for the meeting.
The dry-cleaner returned all the suits on wire hangers wrapped in plastic covers.
We need at least fifty more hangers in the coat check area before the event starts.
Noun. A large building with enough space to house aircraft, helicopters, or other large vehicles. Often at airports or military bases.
The private jet was parked in a climate-controlled hangar at the far end of the airport.
The military hangar housed twelve fighter jets and a full maintenance crew.
The old hangar was converted into an arts centre and event space after the airfield closed.
Common mistake
"The aircraft is stored in the hanger" when referring to the building (correct: hangar). Or "Use the hangar for your jacket" when meaning a clothes frame (correct: hanger). The only visual difference is the final letter: hangER (clothes) vs hangAR (aircraft).
Trick to remember it
'HangER' ends in -ER like other everyday objects: toastER, blendER, printER — things that do or hold something. 'HangAR' ends in -AR like many French-origin words (English borrowed it from French 'hangar') — and AR hints at AIRcraft.
Quick rule
Is it the frame for hanging clothes? 'HangER'. Is it the building for aircraft? 'HangAR'.
Did you know?
The word 'hangar' entered English from French 'hangar' in the late 19th century as aviation began developing. The largest hangar in the world is the Boeing Everett Factory in Washington state — 399,480 square metres, large enough to fit 27 American football fields under one roof. The most famous hangar in popular culture is probably Hangar 18 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio), the alleged storage site for Roswell UFO debris. Meanwhile, the humble clothes hanger was standardised by Albert J. Parkhouse in 1903 — the same year the Wright brothers flew their first aircraft at Kitty Hawk. Both items entered common use within months of each other.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The airline stored its entire fleet of wide-body jets in a new _____ at the southern terminal.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She found a wooden _____ in the wardrobe and used it for her new blazer.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it the frame for hanging clothes? 'HangER'. Is it the building for aircraft? 'HangAR'.
"The aircraft is stored in the hanger" when referring to the building (correct: hangar). Or "Use the hangar for your jacket" when meaning a clothes frame (correct: hanger). The only visual difference is the final letter: hangER (clothes) vs hangAR (aircraft).
'HangER' ends in -ER like other everyday objects: toastER, blendER, printER — things that do or hold something. 'HangAR' ends in -AR like many French-origin words (English borrowed it from French 'hangar') — and AR hints at AIRcraft.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy