diff --git a/new_ring_for_slice_example_test.go b/new_ring_for_slice_example_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c82778e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/new_ring_for_slice_example_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package o_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sort"
+
+	"github.com/antifuchs/o"
+)
+
+func ExampleNewRingForSlice() {
+	// create some backing store:
+	store := make([]int, 90)
+
+	// put a ring on it:
+	ring := o.NewRingForSlice(sort.IntSlice(store))
+
+	// it is empty:
+	fmt.Println(ring.Empty())
+
+	// Output:
+	// true
+}
diff --git a/ring.go b/ring.go
index 5ff20ef..509e8c1 100644
--- a/ring.go
+++ b/ring.go
@@ -64,13 +64,30 @@ func ForcePush(r Ring) uint {
 	return i
 }
 
-// Returns a new Ring data structure. If cap is a power of 2, returns
-// a data structure that is optimized for modulo-2
-// accesses. Otherwise, the returned data structure uses general
-// modulo division for its integer math.
+// Returns a new Ring data structure with the given capacity. If cap
+// is a power of 2, returns a data structure that is optimized for
+// modulo-2 accesses. Otherwise, the returned data structure uses
+// general modulo division for its integer math.
 func NewRing(cap uint) Ring {
 	if bits.OnesCount(cap) == 1 {
 		return &maskRing{cap: cap}
 	}
 	return &basicRing{cap: cap}
 }
+
+// A type, usually a collection, that has length. This is inspired by
+// (but kept intentionally smaller than) sort.Interface.
+type Slice interface {
+	// Len returns the length of a slice.
+	Len() int
+}
+
+// NewRingForSlice creates a Ring that fits a slice. The slice's type
+// must implement o.Slice (which is satisfied if the type implements
+// sort.Interface, also).
+//
+// It is not advisable to resize the slice after creating a ring for
+// it.
+func NewRingForSlice(i Slice) Ring {
+	return NewRing(uint(i.Len()))
+}
diff --git a/ring_test.go b/ring_test.go
index fc90a74..87b18f3 100644
--- a/ring_test.go
+++ b/ring_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package o
 
 import (
+	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -39,3 +40,23 @@ func TestPushAndShift(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSlices(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		slice Slice
+		len   uint
+	}{
+		{"[]int", sort.IntSlice([]int{1, 2, 3, 4}), 4},
+		{"[]float64", sort.Float64Slice([]float64{1.0, 2.0, 3.0}), 3},
+		{"[]string", sort.StringSlice([]string{"hi", "there", "farts", "yup", "strings"}), 5},
+	}
+	for _, elt := range tests {
+		test := elt
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			ring := NewRingForSlice(test.slice)
+			assert.Equal(t, ring.capacity(), test.len)
+		})
+	}
+}