Is it high school or highschool? If you've ever paused before typing this word into an email, an essay, or a resume, you aren't alone. This compound noun sits in a gray area of English orthography where general usage strongly contradicts solid compound-word logic.
In standard English, the correct and universally accepted spelling is high school as two separate words. Writing it as a single word (highschool) is considered a spelling error in nearly every major style guide, including the Chicago Manual of Style and the Associated Press. Yet, compound words in English tend to fuse over time. Why has this particular term resisted fusion, and where does the confusion come from? Let's break down the rules, the history, and how to get it right every time.
The Rule: Two Words, Every Time
When you refer to the secondary educational institution that students attend after middle school or junior high, you must use two words: high school.
Correct: She teaches math at a local high school.
Incorrect: She teaches math at a local highschool.
The same rule applies to related forms like high schooler or high schoolers. They are open compounds or phrases, not single-word closed compounds.
Why does this happen? In English grammar, when an adjective modifies a noun to form a standard noun phrase, the words usually remain separate unless they have officially undergone lexicalization as a closed compound (like classroom or textbook). Although people frequently treat high school as a single concept in conversation, standard dictionaries still classify it as an open compound.
The Etymology and History of Secondary Education
To understand why people often spell it as one word, we have to look at how the terminology evolved. The concept of the "high school" originated in Scotland during the 15th century. The Edinburgh High School, established in the 1500s, used "high" to designate a superior or advanced level of learning compared to elementary parish schools.
When the term migrated to North America in the 19th century, particularly through the establishment of institutions like the Boston English Classical School (later renamed the English High School), American educators adopted the Scottish nomenclature.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, American lexicographers like Noah Webster streamlined English spellings, dropping superfluous letters and encouraging compact words where appropriate. However, despite Webster's influence—which gave us American staples like color and center—lexicographers never officially condensed high school into a single word. The two-word format remained firmly anchored in official government documents, school board charters, and style manuals.
Why People Commonly Misspell It
Language naturally moves toward efficiency. When two words are spoken together frequently as a single unit of meaning, speakers tend to blur them into one orthographic unit in their minds.
Consider similar educational terms:
- Kindergarten (one word, borrowed from German)
- University (one word)
- College (one word)
- Grade school (two words)
- Elementary school (three words)
Because terms like kindergarten and university are single words, writers often assume highschool follows the same structural pattern. Furthermore, search engine queries and fast-paced digital messaging encourage people to drop spaces for convenience, leading to widespread casual use of the closed compound online.
How to Check Your Writing
If you're editing an academic paper, a professional resume, or business copy, catching compound-word errors is essential for maintaining credibility.
- Rely on Context Checkers: Modern word processors will usually flag highschool with a red squiggly line. Don't override the spellcheck unless you're writing a proper noun that specifically uses the single-word format (such as an organization's official brand name).
- Look at Preceding Modifiers: Be careful when using the term as a compound modifier before another noun. For example, write high school student (no hyphen needed between the words when used normally, though some style guides hyphenate compound modifiers preceding a noun, as in high-school athlete).
- Consult Authorized Lexicons: Check the Merriam-Webster Dictionary or similar authoritative references if you ever feel uncertain about a compound term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is high school ever spelled as one word?
Only if it's part of a proprietary proper noun, such as a specific business, corporate brand, or registered domain name that deliberately chose the closed spelling. In standard English prose, it is always two words.
Should I hyphenate high school when describing a student?
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, compound modifiers preceding a noun should be hyphenated to prevent ambiguity. Therefore, you would write high-school graduate or high-school reunion, but you don't hyphenate it when it follows the noun, as in she is in high school.
Why do Canadians and British writers sometimes use highschool?
Regional variations occasionally pop up in informal writing, signage, or local business listings due to space constraints or stylistic choices, but formal Canadian and British English standards still prescribe high school as two words.
Are there other school terms that follow this rule?
Yes. Middle school, junior high school, elementary school, and grad school are all written as separate words in standard English grammar.
