catnap
/ˈkætˌnæp/noun, verb
catnap is spelled C-A-T-N-A-P: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 122,704th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, catnap means “A brief, light sleep, usually during the daytime” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of catnap is catnaps.
How many letters and syllables are in catnap?
| Letters | 6: C-A-T-N-A-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 17 million words; the 122,704th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is catnap?
Catnap appears about once in every 17 million words in written English, the 122,704th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce catnap?
- US /ˈkætˌnæp/
Catnap has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-catnap.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with catnap?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as catnap (/ætnæp/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: captan.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of catnap
- catnaps plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- catnapping participle, present
- catnapped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does catnap mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A brief, light sleep, usually during the daytime.
verb
- 1
To take a catnap (short sleep or nap).
- 2
To kidnap a cat.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Catnap in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Nickerchen , schlummern |
| Portuguese | soneca |
| Spanish | siestecita, sueñecito |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does catnap come from?
A historical illustration of countryfolk and townsfolk catnapping with their pets. A farrier taking a midday catnap. From cat + nap. Named in reference to the feline habit of taking multiple, brief, and light naps throughout the day to conserve energy, rather than sleeping for one long, uninterrupted block.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).