knock

Name: knock, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/nɒk/

//nɒk// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“knock” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,956 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,956
frequency rank, English: 5
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

knock vs Kok

40% similar

knock vs know

60% similar

knock vs Knox

40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for knock
Property	Value
Headword	knock
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/nɒk/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#3,956
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “knock” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). knock lands here:

#3,956

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for knock is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɒk/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,956 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for knock, with forms such as "kknock", "kncok", and "knnock". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Kok", "know", "Knox", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, ġecnucian, cnucian (“to knock, pound on, beat”), from Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną (“to knock”), a suffixed form of *knu-, *knew- (“to pound on, beat”), from Prot… The correct English form is knock, spelled K-N-O-C-K.

Definition

1
An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood.
2
A sharp impact.
3
A criticism.
4
A blow or setback.
5
Preignition, a type of abnormal combustion occurring in spark ignition engines caused by self-ignition; also, the characteristic knocking sound associated with it.
6
A batsman's innings.
7
A ball hit into play, especially one that becomes a hit.
8
Synonym of hunger knock.

Etymology

From Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, ġecnucian, cnucian (“to knock, pound on, beat”), from Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną (“to knock”), a suffixed form of *knu-, *knew- (“to pound on, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnew-, *gen- (“to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate”). The English word is cognate with Middle High German knochen (“to hit”), Old English cnuian, cnuwian (“to pound, knock”), Old Norse knoka (compare Danish knuge (“to squeeze”), Swedish knocka (“to hug”)).

This word in other languages

golpe(Español)coup(Français)Klopfen(Deutsch)batida(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: kknock,kncok,knnock,knocck,knockk,knokc,konck,nkock

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of knock - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "knock"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "knock"?

"knock" is spelled K-N-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /nɒk/.

What does "knock" mean?

As a noun, "knock" means: An abrupt rapping sound, as from an impact of a hard object against wood.

What words are commonly confused with "knock"?

"knock" is commonly confused with "Kok", "know", "Knox". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "knock"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "knock" is /nɒk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "knock"?

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “knock”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is K-N-O-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /nɒk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Kok” - see the side-by-side comparison. knock vs Kok
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.