knock, nock

The words knock, nock sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do knock, nock sound the same even though they are completely different words?

The answer is simple: knock, nock are homophones of the English language.

knock
  1. :: verb-transitive

    To strike with a hard blow.

  2. :: verb-transitive

    To affect in a specified way by striking hard: knocked the mugger senseless.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    To cause to collide: I knocked my head on a low beam.

  4. :: verb-transitive

    To produce by hitting or striking: knocked a hole in the wall.

nock
  1. :: noun

    The groove at either end of a bow for holding the bowstring.

  2. :: noun

    The notch in the end of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.

  3. :: verb-transitive

    To put a nock in (a bow or arrow).

  4. :: verb-transitive

    To fit (an arrow) to a bowstring.

Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition and Wordnik.

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About Homophones

Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.

If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally "different writing").