knock out

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"knock-out" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“knock out” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To strike or render unconscious

Key facts for knock out
PropertyValue
Headwordknock out
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “knock out” sits in English frequency

knock out falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for knock out is 9 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for knock out in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is knock out, spelled K-N-O-C-K- -O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strike or render unconscious
  2. 2
    To strike or render unconscious
  3. 3
    To strike or render unconscious
  4. 4
    To strike or render unconscious
  5. 5
    To strike or render unconscious
  6. 6
    To strike or render unconscious
  7. 7
    To strike or render unconscious
  8. 8
    To strike or render unconscious
  9. 9
    To strike or render unconscious
  10. 10
    To communicate (a message) by knocking.
  11. 11
    To complete, especially in haste; knock off.
  12. 12
    To lose the scent of hounds in fox-hunting.
  13. 13
    To leave college after hours—after half-past ten at night when the doors have been locked.
  14. 14
    To obtain or earn (something, often money or food).
  15. 15
    To sell.

This word in other languages

noquear(Español)assommer(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "knock out"?
"knock out" is spelled K-N-O-C-K- -O-U-T.
What does "knock out" mean?
As a verb, "knock out" means: To strike or render unconscious
What language does "knock out" come from?
"knock out" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 out”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-N-O-C-K- -O-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list