Orcs and goblins are exactly the same. They are the same. Goblins is the word used to describe them in the Hobbit, and since most of the orcs seen there come from the Misty Mountains in many adaptations such Battle for Middle Earth, the term goblin refers specifically to orcs from the Misty Mountains.

Are ORC goblins?

An orc (or ork) /ɔːrk/ is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially The Lord of the Rings. ... Tolkien stated that he took the name from Beowulf.

Why did goblins become orcs?

Tolkien said that one of the reason of choosing "Orc" over "Goblin" was the similarity with his fictional languages. Indeed most Elvish, Mannish and other words for Orc, are similar to the English word.