rock
/ɹɑk/noun, verb
rock is spelled R-O-C-K: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 107 times per million words in written English, the 996th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rock means “The naturally occurring aggregate of solid mineral matter that constitutes a significant part of the earth's crust” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rock is rocks.
How many letters and syllables are in rock?
| Letters | 4: R-O-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 107 times per million words; the 996th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rock?
Rock appears 107 times per million words in written English, the 996th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rock?
- UK /ɹɒk/
- British /ɹɔk/
- US /ɹɑk/
Rock has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rock.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with rock
Sounds like: roc (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Also written: roc.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with rock?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rock from its last stressed vowel (/ɑk/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: cork.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rock
- rocks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- rocking participle, present
- rocked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rock mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The naturally occurring aggregate of solid mineral matter that constitutes a significant part of the earth's crust.
The face of the cliff is solid rock.
- 2
A mass of stone projecting out of the ground or water.
The ship crashed on the rocks.
- 3
IrelandUKA boulder or large stone; or (US, Canada) a smaller stone; a pebble.
Some fool has thrown a rock through my window.
- 4
Any natural material with a distinctive composition of minerals.
- 5
colloquialA precious stone or gem, especially a diamond.
Look at the size of that rock on her finger!
- 6
A large hill or island having no vegetation.
The captain named it Pearl Rock after the rising sun illuminated the surface of the island.
- 7
Something that is strong, stable, and dependable; a person who provides security or support to another.
- 8
A lump or cube of ice.
I'll have a whisky on the rocks, please.
- 9
An act of rocking; a rocking motion; a sway.
- 10
A style of music characterized by basic drum-beat, generally 4/4 riffs, based on (usually electric) guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards (often), and vocals.
- 11
Distaff.
- 12
The flax or wool on a distaff.
verb
- 1
To pelt with rocks; to stone.
- 2
To move gently back and forth.
Rock the baby to sleep.
- 3
To sway one's body as a stim.
- 4
To cause to shake or sway violently.
Don't rock the boat.
- 5
To sway or tilt violently back and forth.
The boat rocked at anchor.
- 6
To be washed and panned in a cradle or in a rocker.
The ores had been rocked and laid out for inspection.
- 7
To disturb the emotional equilibrium of; to distress; to greatly impact (most often positively).
Downing Street has been rocked by yet another sex scandal.
- 8
To do well or to be operating at high efficiency.
- 9
slangTo be very favourable or skilful; excel; be fantastic.
Chocolate rocks.
- 10
To play, perform, or enjoy rock music, especially with a lot of skill or energy.
Let's rock!
- 11
To thrill or excite, especially with rock music.
Let's rock this joint!
- 12
To have people dancing and enjoying rock music.
- 13
To do something with excitement yet skillfully.
I need to rock a piss.
- 14
To wear (a piece of clothing, outfit etc.) successfully or with style; to carry off (a particular look, style).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rock in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | roche, roc, pierre , rocher , remuer, bercer |
| German | Fels, Gestein , Felsen, Klippe , schwanken , Felsbrocken |
| Portuguese | rocha, pedra , embalar, balançar , rochedo , abalar |
| Spanish | roca , peña, peñasco , mecer, acunar , pedrusco |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rock come from?
Inherited from Middle English rocke, rokke (“rock formation”), from Old English *rocc (“rock”), as in Old English stānrocc (“high stone rock, peak, obelisk”), and also later from Anglo-Norman roque, (compare Modern French roc, roche, rocher), from Medieval Latin rocca (attested 767), of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be of Celtic (in particular, perhaps Gaulish) origin (compare Breton roc'h). Related also to Middle Low German rocke (“rock ledge”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).