“Knock the Door” vs. “Knock on the Door”: What’s the Difference?

A line illustration of two people with their mouth open, and a giant question mark between them.

The difference between “knock the door” and “knock on the door”

  • "Knock on the door" is the correct and standard phrase in English, while "knock the door" is non-standard or incorrect.
  • "Knock on the door" means to hit the door with one's knuckles or a hard object to get someone's attention or request entry.
Communicate naturally with Engram AI proofreader

What is the definition of “knock the door” and “knock on the door”?

Knock the door
  • This phrase is not commonly used in English and is considered non-standard or incorrect.
  • The correct form is "knock on the door".
Knock on the door
  • "Knock on the door" means to hit the door with one's knuckles or a hard object to get someone's attention or request entry.
  • The phrase is often used in polite or formal situations, such as when visiting someone's home or office.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Knock on the door” is the more popular variant on the web.
Knock the door
1,190,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. "Knock the door" is non-standard or incorrect.
More popular
Knock on the door
10,100,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The police officer knocked on the door to ask some questions.
  2. I heard someone knock on the door, but when I looked through the peephole there was no one there.
  3. The delivery man knocked on the door and handed me the package.
Want to express yourself confidently?
Engram AI proofreader helps you
communicate naturally
An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.

Related articles