How common is cat?

"CAT" has a frequency of 19.6 occurrences per million words of English text, placing it in the "Uncommon" category. Used occasionally in written English.

A frequency of 19.6/M means "cat" appears about 19.6 times in every million words of text — roughly once every 51,061 words.

Not necessarily — it depends on your goal. For everyday communication, high-frequency words are safer and clearer. For precise or technical writing, lower-frequency specialist words may be more accurate.