Is High School One Word? High School vs. Highschool Explained

High school is written as two words when referring to a school for older students, usually teenagers.

Correct:

• She starts high school next year.
• He graduated from high school in June.
• They met while they were in high school.

The spelling highschool is not standard in formal English.

When the phrase appears before another noun, it may be hyphenated:

• a high-school student
• a high-school teacher
• a high-school diploma

However, many modern style guides also accept the open form before a noun:

• a high school student
• a high school teacher

Quick Answer

Use high school as two words when it is a noun:

• I attend high school.
• She finished high school.
• The high school is nearby.

Use high-school with a hyphen when the phrase acts as a compound adjective and your style guide prefers hyphenation:

• a high-school athlete
• a high-school education

Do not normally write:

• highschool

A simple memory rule is:

School is the main word, and high describes it, so high school usually stays separate.

Is High School One Word or Two?

High school is two words in standard English.

Correct:

• high school
• high school students
• high school graduation
• high school years

Incorrect:

• highschool

Even though the phrase is pronounced smoothly and refers to one type of institution, it remains an open compound.

An open compound is a group of words that creates one meaning but is written with spaces.

Other examples include:

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

What Is a High School?

A high school is a school attended by students after elementary or middle school and before college, university, or full-time employment.

In the United States, high school commonly includes grades 9 through 12, although the exact structure can vary by school district.

Students may study subjects such as:

• English
• mathematics
• science
• history
• foreign languages
• physical education
• art
• technology

Examples:

• Their daughter attends the local high school.
• The new high school opened last fall.
• He teaches science at a public high school.

Why Is High School Two Words?

The phrase contains:

• high, an adjective
• school, a noun

The word high describes the type or level of school.

Because the expression developed as an open compound, the standard spelling keeps the words separate.

Compare:

• elementary school
• middle school
• high school
• graduate school

All of these are normally written as separate words.

Is Highschool a Word?

Highschool is not the standard spelling.

You may occasionally see it in:

• usernames
• hashtags
• informal messages
• website names
• typing errors

For example, a hashtag might appear as:

• #HighSchoolLife

Hashtags cannot contain spaces, so the words are joined for technical reasons.

That does not make highschool correct in an ordinary sentence.

Incorrect:

• I graduated from highschool.

Correct:

• I graduated from high school.

High School in a Sentence

Examples:

• My brother begins high school this fall.
• She made many friends in high school.
• The high school is across from the library.
• He played basketball throughout high school.
• They attended the same high school.
• Her favorite high school subject was biology.
• The town built a new high school.
• I have not seen him since high school.

In all these examples, high school remains two words.

Is High-School Hyphenated?

The phrase may be hyphenated when it appears before another noun and works as one modifier.

Examples:

• a high-school student
• a high-school teacher
• a high-school reunion
• a high-school education

The hyphen shows that high and school work together to describe the following noun.

However, many publications now omit the hyphen because the phrase is familiar and unlikely to cause confusion.

Also common:

• a high school student
• a high school teacher
• a high school reunion

Both styles can appear in edited English.

The most important rule is to follow your chosen style guide and remain consistent.

High School as a Noun

When high school names the institution or educational stage, do not use a hyphen.

Correct:

• She attends high school.
• The high school closes at four.
• He left high school early.
• They are building a new high school.

Incorrect:

• She attends high-school.
• The high-school closes at four.

A hyphen is not used when the phrase stands alone as a noun.

High School Before Another Noun

The phrase often appears before nouns such as:

• student
• teacher
• diploma
• education
• athlete
• graduation
• reunion
• classroom

Examples:

• She is a high school student.
• He earned his high school diploma.
• They attended a high school reunion.
• The coach works with high school athletes.

You may also see:

• high-school student
• high-school diploma
• high-school reunion

The open form is especially common in American educational writing.

Is It High School Student or Highschool Student?

The correct forms are:

• high school student
• high-school student

Do not write:

• highschool student

Examples:

• She is a high school student.
• The program is designed for high-school students.

The first version is more common in everyday American writing.

Is It High School Diploma or Highschool Diploma?

The correct phrase is:

high school diploma

Examples:

• He earned his high school diploma.
• The job requires a high school diploma.
• She completed the requirements for her high school diploma.

Do not write:

• highschool diploma

The phrase high-school diploma may appear in styles that hyphenate compound modifiers, but high school diploma is extremely common and clear.

Is It High Schooler or High School Student?

High school student is the more standard and neutral phrase.

Example:

• She is a high school student.

The word high schooler is informal but widely understood.

Examples:

• The camp is open to high schoolers.
• Several high schoolers volunteered.

The spelling high-schooler may also appear, depending on style.

For formal writing, high school student is usually the safest choice.

Is It High School or Secondary School?

The terms are related but may differ by region.

In the United States, high school commonly refers to the final years of education before college.

In many other countries, secondary school is the more common term.

Examples:

• American English: She attends high school.
• British English: She attends secondary school.

The exact ages and grade levels can vary between education systems.

Should High School Be Capitalized?

Use lowercase when speaking generally:

• She attends high school.
• He teaches at a local high school.
• They met during their high school years.

Capitalize the phrase when it is part of an official school name:

• Lincoln High School
• Central High School
• Westlake High School

Examples:

• She attends Lincoln High School.
• He graduated from Central High School.

Do not capitalize high school simply because it is important.

Is It High School Years or Highschool Years?

The correct phrase is:

high school years

Examples:

• She remembers her high school years fondly.
• His high school years were busy.
• They remained friends after their high school years.

Do not write:

• highschool years

A hyphen is usually unnecessary here.

Is It High School Reunion?

Yes. The standard phrase is:

high school reunion

Examples:

• They attended their high school reunion.
• The high school reunion is scheduled for August.
• She reconnected with friends at a high school reunion.

The form high-school reunion is also possible under a hyphenating style, but high school reunion is common and easy to understand.

Common Mistakes

Writing highschool as one word

Incorrect:

• She is in highschool.

Correct:

• She is in high school.

Hyphenating the noun

Incorrect:

• He graduated from high-school.

Correct:

• He graduated from high school.

Forgetting capitalization in a school name

Incorrect:

• She attends lincoln high school.

Correct:

• She attends Lincoln High School.

Capitalizing the general phrase

Incorrect:

• He starts High School next year.

Correct:

• He starts high school next year.

How to Remember the Spelling

Compare high school with other school levels:

• elementary school
• middle school
• high school
• graduate school

They all keep a space before school.

A useful memory sentence is:

You go to a school that is high in level, so high school stays two words.

You can also remember:

High school is open, not closed.

That means the standard form contains a space.

Final Answer

High school is written as two words.

Correct:

• She attends high school.
• He earned a high school diploma.
• They met during their high school years.

The one-word form highschool is not standard.

A hyphen may be used when the phrase modifies another noun:

• a high-school student

However, the open form is also common:

• a high school student

Remember:

High school is two words, but it may be hyphenated when used as a compound modifier.