High school is the correct spelling in standard American English. It is written as two separate words, not as one combined word. Highschool, written as a single word, is a common mistake that shows up often in casual writing, social media posts, and search queries. Every major dictionary, style guide, and school system in the United States treats high school as two words.
This distinction matters more than it might seem. Students write it on college applications, resumes, and formal essays. Teachers correct it in classrooms. Employers notice it on job materials. Getting it right, once and for all, is a small detail that reflects careful writing and attention to grammar.
Quick Answer: High School Or Highschool
The correct form is high school, spelled as two words with a space between them.
- Correct: high school
- Incorrect: highschool
This rule applies in formal writing, academic writing, journalism, and everyday communication. The one-word version, highschool, does not appear in Merriam-Webster, the Oxford English Dictionary, or the AP Stylebook as a standard spelling. It is sometimes used informally online, especially in usernames, hashtags, and titles of shows or games, but that usage does not make it grammatically correct.
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Is It High School Or Highschool? A Simple Breakdown
To understand why high school stays as two words, it helps to look at how the phrase functions in a sentence.
High school is a noun phrase. It combines the adjective “high” with the noun “school” to describe a specific stage of education. In English, most noun phrases like this remain separate words unless a dictionary formally recognizes a merged version. That has not happened with high school.
Compare it with similar education terms:
| Term | Correct Form | Notes |
| High school | Two words | Never written as one word in standard English |
| Middle school | Two words | Same pattern as high school |
| Elementary school | Two words | Same pattern, never merged |
| Preschool | One word | Already fully merged in dictionaries |
| Homeschool | One word | Fully merged, unlike high school |
Notice that preschool and homeschool are legitimate one-word terms. This is exactly why people get confused. English does merge some school-related words into one word, but high school has never gone through that change. Dictionaries have kept it as two separate words for well over a century.
Why Do People Write Highschool As One Word?
There are a few clear reasons why the one-word version keeps appearing, even though it is incorrect.
Speed of typing. When people type quickly, especially on phones, they often skip the space between short, familiar words. This happens with other phrases too, like “alot” instead of “a lot.”
Influence from merged words. Since preschool and homeschool are correctly written as one word, some writers assume high school follows the same pattern.
Titles and pop culture. Shows, games, and manga titles sometimes use highschool as a stylistic choice. Titles like Highschool of the Dead or Highschool DxD use the one word spelling intentionally, as a brand name rather than as standard grammar. Brand names do not follow normal spelling rules, so these titles should not be used as evidence that highschool is correct in everyday writing.
Casual online writing. Social media captions, forum posts, and quick text messages are informal by nature. People are less careful with spacing in casual contexts, and the mistake spreads through repetition.
None of these reasons change the grammatical answer. In any formal or academic setting, high school should always be two words.
High School Or Highschool: AP Style And Other Style Guides
Style guides are especially clear on this point.
The Associated Press Stylebook, which many newspapers, websites, and businesses follow, lists high school as two words in all uses, including when it functions as an adjective before another noun, such as “high school student” or “high school football team.”
The Chicago Manual of Style, commonly used in academic and book publishing, follows the same rule. So does the MLA Handbook, which many students use for essays and research papers.
No major style guide recognizes highschool as an acceptable alternative spelling. This consistency across style guides is one of the clearest signs that high school as two words is the only correct choice in professional and academic writing.
Is High School Capitalized?
Whether to capitalize high school depends on how it is used in a sentence.
Lowercase, when used generally:
- She just started high school this year.
- He plays football for his high school.
Capitalized, when part of an official school name:
- Lincoln High School
- Central High School
- Roosevelt High School
The rule here follows standard capitalization for proper nouns. When high school refers to a specific, named institution, capitalize every word in the official name. When it refers to the general concept of secondary education, keep it lowercase.
High School Grammar: Part Of Speech And Sentence Use
High school most often works as a noun, naming a stage of education or a specific institution.
- Noun example: My daughter starts high school next fall.
It can also work as a compound modifier, describing another noun that follows it.
- Modifier example: The high school gymnasium was full for the game.
In both roles, high school stays as two separate words. It does not change form based on its grammatical function in the sentence. This is different from some compound words in English that shift spelling depending on whether they act as a noun or an adjective. High school does not follow that pattern; it remains two words no matter how it is used.
Plural Form
The plural of high school is high schools, still written as two words.
- Correct: Several high schools in the district added new science labs.
- Incorrect: Several highschools in the district added new science labs.
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High School Meaning: What Does High School Actually Refer To?
In the United States, high school refers to the final stage of secondary education, typically covering grades nine through twelve. Students usually begin high school around age fourteen and graduate around age eighteen, though this can vary slightly by state and school district.
High school generally comes after middle school, sometimes called junior high school, and before college or university. It is the stage where students often choose elective subjects, prepare for standardized tests, and begin planning for life after graduation.
Junior High School Or Highschool: A Related Confusion
Junior high school refers to an earlier stage of education, usually covering grades seven and eight, sometimes grade six as well. Like high school, junior high school is always written as separate words. The confusion around highschool as one word applies equally here; junior highschool is not a standard spelling in any recognized dictionary or style guide.
High School Diploma, GPA, And Related Terms
Several common phrases build on the word high school, and all of them follow the same two word rule.
- High school diploma: the official certificate awarded after completing secondary education.
- High school graduate: someone who has finished and received a diploma.
- High school GPA: the grade point average calculated from high school coursework, often used in college applications.
- High school age: the typical age range of students attending high school, generally fourteen to eighteen.
Each of these phrases keeps high school as two words, since the base term itself never merges into one word in standard usage.
Common Mistakes With High School Or Highschool
Understanding the mistake clearly helps prevent it from happening again.
❌ Incorrect: She graduated highschool last year with honors.
✅ Correct: She graduated high school last year with honors.
❌ Incorrect: He plays on the highschool basketball team.
✅ Correct: He plays on the high school basketball team.
❌ Incorrect: My highschool diploma arrived in the mail.
✅ Correct: My high school diploma arrived in the mail.
The pattern is consistent across every context. Whether the sentence is about sports, academics, diplomas, or general conversation, high school stays separated by a space.
💡 Tip: If you are unsure while writing quickly, picture “middle school” or “elementary school” in the same sentence. Since those stay as two words, high school follows the exact same rule.
High School Or Highschool In Pop Culture Titles
It is worth addressing pop culture examples directly, since many searches for this topic come from fans of shows, games, or franchises rather than from grammar questions alone.
Titles such as Highschool of the Dead, Highschool DxD, God of Highschool, and Highschool Catfish use the one word spelling as part of their official branding. This is a stylistic and trademark decision made by the creators or publishers, similar to how some brand names intentionally break normal spelling or capitalization rules.
These titles do not indicate a change in English grammar. Outside of referring to the specific title of a show, game, or franchise by its exact official name, writers should still use high school as two words in every other context, including when discussing the plot, characters, or setting of these same titles in a sentence.
For example:
- Correct reference to the title: I just finished watching Highschool of the Dead.
- Correct general sentence: The story is set in a high school during a zombie outbreak.
Notice how the official title keeps its stylized spelling, while the general description of the setting uses the standard two word form.
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Similar Words And Related Confusions
A few other education-related terms cause similar confusion. Reviewing them together makes the pattern easier to remember.
| Word Or Phrase | Correct Spelling | Common Mistake |
| High school | Two words | Highschool |
| Middle school | Two words | Middleschool |
| Elementary school | Two words | Elementaryschool |
| Preschool | One word | Pre school |
| Homeschool | One word | Home school |
The takeaway is simple: school stages describing grade levels, such as high school, middle school, and elementary school, stay as two words. Words describing a type or method of schooling, such as preschool and homeschool, are usually one word. High school belongs firmly in the first group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it high school or highschool?
It is high school, spelled as two separate words in standard English.
Is highschool one word?
No. Highschool as one word is not recognized in major dictionaries or style guides. It appears mainly as a spelling mistake or as part of a stylized title.
Is high school or highschool correct in AP style?
AP style uses high school as two words in every context, including as a noun and as a modifier before another noun.
Why do some shows and games spell it highschool?
Titles like Highschool DxD use the one-word spelling as an intentional branding choice, not as a reflection of standard grammar rules.
Is high school capitalized?
Only when it is part of an official school name, such as Lincoln High School. In general use, it stays lowercase.
What is the plural of high school?
The plural is high schools, still written as two words.
Is high school a noun or an adjective?
It usually functions as a noun, naming a stage of education. It can also work as a compound modifier before another noun, such as in high school football.
Is there a difference between high school and secondary school?
Secondary school is a broader, often more formal or international term for the stage of education after primary school. In the United States, high school specifically refers to the final years of secondary education, typically grades nine through twelve.
Is junior high school also two words?
Yes. Junior high school follows the same rule and is always written as three separate words, never merged.
Does British English use high school the same way?
British English often uses secondary school instead of high school, though high school does appear in some regions and contexts, still written as two words.
Final Thoughts
The answer to high school or highschool comes down to a simple, consistent rule. High school is always two words in standard English, whether it appears in a formal essay, a school name, a resume, or everyday conversation. Highschool, written as one word, is not supported by dictionaries or style guides and should be treated as a spelling mistake rather than an acceptable variation.
The only real exception involves official titles of shows, games, or franchises that intentionally use the one word spelling as part of their branding. Outside of quoting those exact titles, writers should stick to the two word form in every sentence. Remembering this one small rule helps keep writing clear, correct, and consistent, whether the topic is grades, diplomas, sports, or everyday school life.
Danish Raza is the author of Grammavio, a trusted resource for simple and easy-to-understand English grammar guides. He creates helpful content covering grammar rules, word meanings, vocabulary, and common grammar mistakes to help readers improve their English skills.
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