A telephone answering device (TAD) determines the "distinctiveness" of an incoming ring signal, and responds accordingly. Distinctive ring features of some current telephone utilities have established ring patterns with plural ring signals occurring within a single ring cycle. Normally, one ring signal is present per ring cycle. In the distinctive ring TAD set forth herein, ring cycles with one or more ring signals are discriminated and responded to by playing a different outgoing message corresponding to the distinctiveness of the ring cycle. In a further enhancement, the TAD does not answer the incoming telephone call if the answer ring cycle (upon which the TAD is to answer the call) is cut short, indicating that the telephone call has been answered by a person.