Is High School One Word? Correct Spelling and Usage

High school is usually two words.

It is not normally written as highschool.

Use high school when you mean the school students attend after middle school and before college, or when you are describing something related to that level of education.

Examples:

• She is in high school.
• He teaches high school English.
• My brother graduated from high school last year.
• They met during high school.

The correct standard spelling is:

high school

Not:

highschool

Quick Answer

High school is two words.

Correct:

• I am a high school student.

Incorrect:

• I am a highschool student.

Also correct:

• She goes to high school.
• He plays on the high school basketball team.
• They are planning a high school reunion.

In normal English, keep the words separate.

Why Is High School Two Words?

High school is two words because high describes the type or level of school.

The word school is the main noun. The word high tells us which kind of school it is.

This pattern is similar to:

• middle school
• elementary school
• private school
• public school
• boarding school

We do not usually combine these into one word.

Correct:

• middle school
• high school
• public school

Incorrect:

• middleschool
• highschool
• publicschool

So the correct spelling is high school.

Is Highschool Ever Correct?

Highschool as one word is not standard English.

You may see it online in usernames, hashtags, informal texting, or brand names, but it is not the correct spelling in regular writing.

Examples:

• #highschoolmemories
• highschoollife123

These may work as hashtags or usernames because spaces are often removed. But in a sentence, write high school.

Correct:

• I miss my high school friends.

Incorrect:

• I miss my highschool friends.

For school assignments, articles, emails, resumes, and professional writing, always use high school as two words.

High School as a Noun

Use high school as a noun when talking about the school itself or the period of education.

Examples:

• She started high school in September.
• He dropped out of high school.
• I enjoyed high school more than middle school.
• Their son attends a large high school.

In these sentences, high school names a place, stage, or institution.

It is still two words.

High School as an Adjective

High school can also describe another noun.

Examples:

• high school student
• high school teacher
• high school diploma
• high school football
• high school graduation
• high school reunion

Example sentences:

• She is a high school student.
• He earned his high school diploma.
• The high school football team won the game.
• They attended their high school reunion.

Even when high school works like an adjective, it is usually still two words.

Do not write:

• highschool student
• highschool diploma
• highschool teacher

Write:

• high school student
• high school diploma
• high school teacher

Should High School Be Hyphenated?

Usually, high school does not need a hyphen.

Correct:

• high school student
• high school teacher
• high school class
• high school diploma

Incorrect in most normal writing:

• high-school student
• high-school teacher

Some style guides allow hyphens in certain compound modifiers, but high school is commonly understood without one. In everyday writing, the safest choice is no hyphen.

Use:

high school

Not:

high-school

High School or Highschool Student?

The correct phrase is high school student.

Examples:

• My sister is a high school student.
• The program is designed for high school students.
• Many high school students apply for summer jobs.

Do not write:

• highschool student
• highschool students

The word student does not make high school become one word. Keep it separate.

High School or Highschool Diploma?

The correct phrase is high school diploma.

Examples:

• He earned his high school diploma.
• Many jobs require a high school diploma.
• She completed her high school diploma online.

Do not write:

• highschool diploma

Again, high school remains two words.

High School vs Highschool in Texting

In texting and social media, people sometimes write highschool as one word because they are typing quickly or using a hashtag.

Examples:

• highschool memories
• highschool friends
• #highschoollife

This is understandable in casual online spaces, but it is not the standard spelling.

For normal writing, use:

• high school memories
• high school friends
• high school life

If you are writing for WordPress, school, work, or SEO, use high school as two words.

Is High School Capitalized?

Capitalize high school only when it is part of a proper name or title.

Lowercase:

• She goes to high school.
• He is a high school teacher.
• They met in high school.

Capitalize when it is part of a school’s official name:

• Lincoln High School
• Westview High School
• Central High School

In a title, you may capitalize both words depending on title style:

• Is High School One Word?

But in normal sentences, write it lowercase unless it is part of a name.

How to Remember the Correct Spelling

A simple memory trick:

High school is like middle school.

Both are two words.

You would not write:

• middleschool

So do not write:

• highschool

Think:

middle school = two words
high school = two words

Another easy reminder:

School is the main word. High describes the level.

Because they are two separate words with two separate jobs, keep them separate.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Writing highschool as one word

Incorrect:

• She is starting highschool next year.

Correct:

• She is starting high school next year.

Mistake 2: Writing high-school with a hyphen

Usually unnecessary:

• He is a high-school student.

Better:

• He is a high school student.

Mistake 3: Capitalizing high school when it is not a name

Incorrect:

• She goes to High School.

Correct:

• She goes to high school.

Correct as a proper name:

• She goes to Lincoln High School.

Mistake 4: Thinking high school becomes one word before another noun

Incorrect:

• highschool teacher
• highschool diploma
• highschool class

Correct:

• high school teacher
• high school diploma
• high school class

Example Sentences

• He is in high school.
• She teaches high school math.
• I graduated from high school in 2020.
• Many high school students take college entrance exams.
• The high school football game starts at seven.
• He wants to finish his high school diploma.
• They stayed friends after high school.
• The reunion was held at their old high school.

Final Answer: Is High School One Word?

No, high school is not one word.

The correct spelling is high school, with two separate words.

Do not write:

highschool

For normal English, use:

high school

The easiest way to remember it is:

middle school is two words, and high school is two words too.

So write:

• high school student
• high school diploma
• high school teacher
• high school graduation

Always keep high school as two words in standard writing.