# shock

> English word · Noun · IPA /ʃɒk/ · frequency rank #3,260

## Definitions
1. A sudden, heavy impact.
2. A sudden, heavy impact.
3. A sudden, heavy impact.
4. A sudden, heavy impact.
5. A sudden, heavy impact.
6. A sudden, heavy impact.
7. A sudden, heavy impact.
8. A shock absorber (typically in the suspension of a vehicle).
9. A discontinuity arising in the solution of a partial differential equation.
10. A chemical added to a swimming pool to moderate the chlorine levels.

## Etymology
From Middle Dutch schokken (“to push, jolt, shake, jerk”) or Middle French choquer (“to collide with, clash”), from Old Dutch *skokkan (“to shake up and down, shog”), from Proto-Germanic *skukkaną (“to move, shake, tremble”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skakaną (“to shake, stir”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek-, *(s)keg- (“to shake, stir”); see shake.
Cognate with Middle Low German schocken (“collide with, deliver a blow to, move back and forth”), Old High German scoc (“a jolt, swing”), Middle High German schocken (“to swing”) (German schaukeln), Old Norse skykkr (“vibration, surging motion”), Icelandic skykkjun (“tremulously”), Middle English schiggen (“to shake”). Doublet of shog.

## Easily confused with
- **show** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-show)
- **shot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shot)
- **shop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shop)
- **sick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-sick)
- **suck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-suck)
- **shoe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shoe)
- **soak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-soak)
- **sock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-sock)
- **shoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shoo)
- **sook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-sook)
- **soca** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-soca)
- **short** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-short)
- **shows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shows)
- **stock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-stock)
- **shown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shown)
- **stick** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-stick)
- **shoot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shoot)
- **stuck** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-stuck)
- **shoes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shoes)
- **shots** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shock-vs-shots)

## Common misspellings (8)
`hsock`, `shcok`, `shhock`, `shocck`, `shockk`, `shokc`, `sohck`, `sshock`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shock