doc and dock are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. doc means “a licensed medical practitioner”. dock means “an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial”. doc is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɑk/
1.n.a licensed medical practitioner
“I felt so bad I went to see my doctor”
2.n.the United States federal department that promotes and administers domestic and foreign trade (including management of the census and the patent office); created in 1913
/ˈdɑk/
1.n.an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
2.n.any of certain coarse weedy plants with long taproots, sometimes used as table greens or in folk medicine
3.n.a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
| doc | dock | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɑk/ | /ˈdɑk/ |
| Said | dahk | dahk |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 3 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 2 | 12 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | doctor, physician, MD | none recorded |