Is "cause" used commonly instead of "because"?

Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Yes, that's correct. Many native speakers shorten "because" into "'cause" when speaking informally. It's okay to use "'cause" in casual conversation or while texting, but you should still use "because" for formal writing. Ex: I was late to work 'cause there was too much traffic. Ex: She was happy 'cause she saw a cute dog on the street.