come and occur share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. come means “move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody”. occur means “come to pass”. come is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkʌm/
1.v.move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
“He came singing down the road”
2.v.reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
“She arrived home at 7 o'clock”
3.v.come to pass; arrive, as in due course
“The first success came three days later”
/əˈkɝ/
1.v.come to pass
“What is happening?”
2.v.come to one's mind; suggest itself
“It occurred to me that we should hire another secretary”
3.v.to be found to exist
“sexism occurs in many workplaces”
| come | occur | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkʌm/ | /əˈkɝ/ |
| Said | kuhm | uh-KUR |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 4 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb |
| Senses | 22 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | come up | happen, hap, go on |
Full entry for come · Full entry for occur · More comparisons