High School or Highschool? Correct Spelling, Meaning, and Usage

If you are unsure about high school or highschool, use high school. The standard American English form is written as two separate words. Dictionaries such as Oxford and Cambridge treat high school as the established noun for a school or educational level, while highschool is not the standard spelling for this meaning.

The phrase can also raise a second question: should it ever be written high-school? In most everyday U.S. writing, the open form high school is preferred, even before another noun. The Chicago Manual of Style specifically notes that high school can remain unhyphenated when it modifies a noun because it is a familiar open compound.

So, the main rule is simple: write high school, not highschool. Hyphenation and capitalization are separate questions.

Table of Contents

Quick Answer

High school is the correct standard spelling. It is written as two words because it is an established open compound noun. Highschool is not the standard form for the educational institution or school level. A hyphen in high-school may appear in some styles, but many U.S. style guides leave the familiar phrase open. Capitalize High School when it forms part of an official school name.

TL;DR

High school is the standard spelling.
Highschool is not standard English for this meaning.
High school is an open compound, so it normally keeps its space.
High-school may appear in some styles, but it is not normally required.
Use High School in an official school name.
Use lowercase high school as a general educational term.

High School or Highschool at a Glance

Form	Standard?	Main Use	Example
high school	Yes	General noun or school level	She starts high school next year.
highschool	No	Usually a spelling error	Avoid highschool in edited writing.
high-school	Sometimes style-dependent	Modifier in some editorial styles	A high-school program
High School	Yes in proper names	Official institution name	Lincoln High School
high schools	Yes	Plural	Several high schools joined the event.

Is “High School” One Word or Two?

High school is two words. It is an open compound, meaning the words work together as one established expression while retaining a space.

Oxford lists high school as a noun and gives examples such as “in high school,” “after high school,” and “a senior in high school.” Its U.S. definition describes it as a school for young people generally between about 14 and 18.

Compare these familiar open compounds:

high school
middle school
elementary school
post office
living room
ice cream

English does not have one universal rule saying that related words must eventually become one word. Some compounds become closed, such as notebook. Others remain open, such as high school.

Therefore, the fact that high and school form one concept does not justify writing highschool.

Correct examples

I graduated from high school last year.
My sister starts high school in September.
He met his best friend in high school.
The local high school offers several advanced courses.

Why Is “Highschool” Incorrect?

The main problem with highschool is not pronunciation or meaning. Most readers can understand what the writer means. The problem is that the closed spelling is not the established standard form.

The word may appear in casual online writing, usernames, hashtags, file names, or typing mistakes. However, repeated online use does not automatically turn a nonstandard spelling into standard English.

Several direct comparison guides also identify high school as the standard two-word form. For example, WritingTips explicitly distinguishes the open form from highschool, while newer comparison articles make the same basic distinction.

Compare:

Correct:

Maya attends high school in Texas.

Incorrect in standard edited English:

Maya attends highschool in Texas.

The easiest approach is simply to treat highschool as a spelling error when you mean the educational level or institution.

Is “High-School” Correct?

High-school is a different issue from highschool. The hyphenated form joins the two words without completely closing them into one word.

Some writers and style guides may hyphenate high school when it functions before another noun. For example:

a high-school student

However, many U.S. editorial styles leave it open:

a high school student

The Chicago Manual of Style explains that high school is listed as an unhyphenated noun phrase and can remain unhyphenated when used attributively if the meaning is clear.

Other U.S. educational style guides likewise prefer the open form. Colorado State University, for example, specifically gives high school student without a hyphen.

So do not confuse these three forms:

high school — standard open form
high-school — possible style-dependent hyphenation
highschool — nonstandard closed spelling

For ordinary U.S. website writing, high school is the safest default.

When Should “High School” Be Capitalized?

Use lowercase high school when you mean the school level or type of school generally.

Correct:

She is in high school.
He graduated from high school.
Our town has two high schools.
My cousin teaches at a high school in Ohio.

Capitalize it when it is part of an official name.

Correct:

She attends Lincoln High School.
Central High School opened in 1954.
The students visited Northside High School.

The difference is the same basic distinction used with many institution names. A general reference is lowercase; a proper name uses capitalization.

You should also preserve the official capitalization of a school’s name if you are referring to that institution specifically.

What Does “High School” Mean?

In American English, high school refers to a school for older students, commonly covering grades 9–12, although school systems can organize grades differently.

Cambridge defines the U.S. term as a school generally for students in grades 9–12 or roughly ages 14–18. Oxford similarly describes it as a school for young people between about 14 and 18.

The phrase can also refer to the period of education itself:

I am in high school.
She met him in high school.
He plans to attend college after high school.
They have been friends since high school.

In these examples, high school does not necessarily identify one particular building. It can refer to the educational stage or experience.

High school as a countable noun

When you mean individual schools, use the plural:

The district operates five high schools.

Here, each school is a separate institution.

High school as an educational stage

When you mean the period of education, the phrase often behaves as an uncountable expression:

She learned to play guitar in high school.

You are not counting separate schools in that sentence. You are referring to a stage of life or education.

High School in American and British English

The phrase high school exists in both American and British English, but the educational systems and naming conventions differ.

In the United States, high school commonly refers to the later years of secondary education, often grades 9–12. Cambridge specifically marks this U.S. meaning.

In Britain, secondary school is often the more general term. However, high school can appear in the official names of schools. Oxford notes that the phrase is often used in school names in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

For example:

American English: She is in high school.
British English: She is at secondary school.
Proper name: She attends Worthing High School.

The spelling does not become highschool in either variety.

What About “High School Student”?

The standard phrase is high school student.

You may occasionally see high-school student under a style that hyphenates familiar compound modifiers. However, the open version is widely used in U.S. educational writing. The Chicago Manual of Style specifically explains why high school can remain open before a noun when the meaning is clear.

Correct:

She is a high school student.
We interviewed several high school students.
The program helps high school students prepare for college.

The word highschool should not be substituted:

Incorrect: highschool student
Standard: high school student

For another education-related word distinction, see EnglishShub’s guide to

freshman and freshmen usage.

Common Mistakes With High School

Mistake 1: Closing the compound

Incorrect:

I went to highschool in California.

Correct:

I went to high school in California.

The phrase remains open.

Mistake 2: Treating every compound as one word

English has both open and closed compounds.

high school — open
notebook — closed
living room — open
textbook — closed

There is no reliable rule that says every compound eventually becomes one word.

Mistake 3: Capitalizing the general term

Incorrect:

She is starting High School next year.

Correct:

She is starting high school next year.

Capitalize the phrase when it is part of a proper name:

She attends Lincoln High School.

Mistake 4: Assuming the hyphen is the same as closing the words

These are not equivalent:

high school
high-school
highschool

The first is the standard open form. The second can reflect a style choice. The third is not the standard spelling for the educational term.

Mistake 5: Forgetting the plural

When you mean more than one institution, use high schools:

The county has six high schools.

Do not write:

The county has six highschool.

A Simple Memory Rule for High School vs. Highschool

Use this three-step test:

Step 1: Are you naming the educational level or institution?
Write high school.

Step 2: Are you tempted to remove the space?
Do not write highschool. The standard form remains open.

Step 3: Is it part of an official school name?
Capitalize it, as in Lincoln High School.

A useful memory aid is to compare it with middle school and elementary school:

elementary school → middle school → high school

All three remain two-word phrases.

That pattern is not an absolute rule for English compounds, but it is a useful way to remember the standard educational terms.

High School or Highschool in Real Sentences

Here are practical examples you can use as models:

My brother starts high school this fall.
She graduated from high school in 2025.
We met during high school.
The local high school won the competition.
Several high schools joined the district program.
He is a high school student.
Her high school teacher recommended the book.
The application asks about your high school education.
She attended Lincoln High School.
After high school, he plans to study engineering.
The district built a new high school.
Many high school students work part time.

For a related EnglishShub example involving the phrase school year, see the discussion of coming school year in

“Comming or Coming”.

High School, Secondary School, and Related Terms

The terms below can overlap, but they are not always exact substitutes.

Term	Typical Meaning	U.S. Use
high school	Later secondary education	Very common
secondary school	Broader educational category	Used, but less specific
middle school	School before high school in many U.S. systems	Common
junior high school	Earlier secondary level in some U.S. systems	Regional/institutional
senior high school	Upper secondary level in some systems	Less universal

Oxford lists junior high school and senior high school alongside high school, while Cambridge’s U.S. definition focuses on grades 9–12 or approximately ages 14–18.

Because school systems vary, do not assume that high school covers exactly the same grades in every country.

FAQs

Is “highschool” one word?

No. High school is the standard two-word form when referring to the educational institution or level. Highschool may appear in informal online writing, usernames, or typing errors, but it is not the standard spelling for edited English.

Is “high-school” correct?

It can be correct under some editorial styles when high school functions as a modifier. However, many U.S. style guides leave the familiar compound open and write high school student rather than high-school student. Chicago explicitly permits the open form when the meaning is clear.

Should “high school” be capitalized?

Usually no. Write high school when you mean the educational level generally. Capitalize it when it forms part of an official name, such as Lincoln High School.

Is “high school” American or British English?

It is used in both, but the educational meaning differs somewhat by country. In American English, it commonly refers to grades 9–12. British English more often uses secondary school as the general term, although High School appears in many official school names.

What is the plural of “high school”?

The plural is high schools. Add the regular plural ending to school: one high school, two high schools, several high schools.

Should I write “high school student” or “high-school student”?

For general U.S. writing, high school student is a strong default. Some style guides permit or use the hyphenated version, but familiar open compounds often remain unhyphenated. Check the style guide required by your school, employer, or publication.

Test Your Understanding

1. Which spelling is standard in American English?

A. highschool
B. high school
C. high-schooling
D. highsch ool

2. Which sentence is correctly written?

A. She graduated from highschool last year.
B. She graduated from high school last year.
C. She graduated from high-school last year.
D. She graduated from High school last year.

3. Which sentence uses capitalization correctly?

A. He attends Lincoln high school.
B. He attends lincoln High School.
C. He attends Lincoln High School.
D. He attends Lincoln high School.

4. What is the standard plural of “high school” when referring to several institutions?

A. highschooles
B. high-schools
C. high schools
D. highschool

5. Which statement about “high-school” is most accurate?

A. It is always the only correct form.
B. It is the standard one-word spelling.
C. It may be used under some style conventions, but the open form is widely accepted.
D. It is the plural form of high school.

Answer Key

B — high school. The standard spelling is an open compound with a space.
B — She graduated from high school last year. The educational term is written as two words.
C — He attends Lincoln High School. The phrase is part of an official school name.
C — high schools. The normal plural adds -s to school.
C — It may be used under some style conventions, but the open form is widely accepted. Hyphenation is a separate style question from the nonstandard closed spelling highschool.

Conclusion

When choosing high school or highschool, use high school. The standard form is an open compound written as two words. Use lowercase high school for the general educational level and capitalize it in an official name such as Lincoln High School. A hyphenated form can occur in some editorial styles, but high-school and highschool should not be treated as interchangeable. For most American English writing, the simple rule is: keep the space and write high school.