copycat
"copycat" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“copycat” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,936 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #31,936
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who imitates or plagiarizes others' work.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | copycat |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #31,936 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “copycat” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for copycat is 7 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #31,936 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for copycat, with forms such as "ccopycat", "copcyat", and "coppycat". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Originally American English, from copy + cat (“former derogatory term for a person”). The correct English form is copycat, spelled C-O-P-Y-C-A-T.
Definition
- 1One who imitates or plagiarizes others' work.
- 2A criminal who imitates the crimes of another; specifically, a criminal who commits the same crime, especially a highly-publicized one, that has just or recently been committed by someone else.
Etymology
Originally American English, from copy + cat (“former derogatory term for a person”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccopycat,copcyat,coppycat,copyact,copycatt,copyccat,copycta,copyycat,coypcat,cpoycat,ocpycat
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of copycat - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "copycat"?
What does "copycat" mean?
What are common misspellings of "copycat"?
What is the origin of the word "copycat"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “copycat”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-P-Y-C-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.