be common in

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be common in" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that frequently occurs or is prevalent in a particular context or group. Example: "These symptoms can be common in children." Alternative expressions include "be prevalent in," "be frequent in," and "be typical in."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In addition, intraspecific recombinations seem to be common in WMV.

Encyclopedia of Virology

COMPANY towns used to be common in the West.

The Economist

Light manufacturing of this sort used to be common in New York City.

The New York Times

If Kepler finds the planets, Dr. Borucki explained, life could be common in the universe.

The New York Times - Science

A similar process used to be common in opera as well.

The New York Times - Arts

Describes the electioneering irregularities, said to be common in Eastern Kentucky.

The New Yorker

Something akin to road testing used to be common in opera, too.

The New York Times - Arts

Porous materials are believed to be common in the asteroids and satellites of the outer planets.

Advances in Space Research

Great crested newts, "askers", used to be common in the Marshwood Vale.

The Guardian

Hence, vertical migration to the benthos might be common in C. plocamia medusae.

Nature

Some included ties, which used to be common in the days before illuminated stadiums.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with specific qualifiers like 'more', 'less' or 'increasingly' to add nuance to your descriptions of prevalence.

Common error

Avoid substituting 'in' for 'to' when you mean shared ownership between specific people. Use "be common in" for frequency within a group, but use '"be common to"' when describing features shared by two or more distinct entities.

How to use

Learn how to use "be common in" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be common in" functions as a predicative adjective phrase followed by a prepositional phrase. It establishes a link between a subject and a contextual scope to indicate frequency. According to Ludwig AI, it is the primary way researchers and journalists connect observations to a specific domain.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "be common in" is a vital linguistic tool for establishing frequency and context. Based on thousands of examples from Ludwig AI, it is consistently used by experts to bridge the gap between an observation and its environment. Whether you are writing a scientific paper on genetics or a news report on market trends, this phrase provides a clear, grammatically robust way to describe prevalence. It avoids the ambiguity of less precise terms and remains a staple of formal, high-quality English writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be prevalent in

Implies a higher degree of dominance or statistical significance within a group.

be widespread in

Emphasizes the broad geographic or spatial distribution of the occurrence.

be frequently found in

Provides a more descriptive, action-oriented version of the same meaning.

occur often in

Focuses on the event of happening rather than a static state.

be pervasive in

Suggests that the quality or phenomenon is present throughout every part of the context.

be typical of

Shifts focus to the occurrence being a defining characteristic of the subject.

be recurrent in

Stresses the repetitive nature of the occurrence over time.

be ubiquitous in

A more intense alternative suggesting the phenomenon is found everywhere in that context.

be standard in

Implies that the occurrence is the norm or an expected feature.

be endemic to

Specifically refers to conditions or species that are native or restricted to a certain area.

FAQs

How to use "be common in" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a frequent occurrence, such as: "These genetic markers tend to "be common in" high-altitude populations."

What can I say instead of "be common in"?

Depending on the context, you can use "be prevalent in", "be widespread in" or "occur frequently in".

What is the difference between "be common in" and "be typical of"?

While "be common in" refers to the frequency of occurrence, "be typical of" suggests that the trait is a representative characteristic of the group.

Which is correct: "be common in" or "be common to"?

Both are correct but have different meanings. Use "be common in" for frequency within a location or group, and use ""be common to"" to describe shared traits between specific things.