# school

> English word · Noun · IPA /skuːl/ · frequency rank #188

## Definitions
1. An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution.
2. An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university).
3. At Eton College, a period or session of teaching.
4. Within a larger educational institution, an organizational unit, such as a department or institute, which is dedicated to a specific subject area.
5. An art movement, a community of artists.
6. The followers of a particular doctrine; a particular way of thinking or particular doctrine; a school of thought.
7. The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution.
8. The room or hall in English universities where the examinations for degrees and honours are held.
9. The canons, precepts, or body of opinion or practice, sanctioned by the authority of a particular class or age.
10. An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.

## Etymology
From Middle English scole, from Old English scōl (“place of education”), from Proto-West Germanic *skōlu, from Late Latin schola, scola (“learned discussion or dissertation, lecture, school”), from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ, “spare time, leisure”), from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to hold, have, possess”). Doublet of schola and shul.
Compare Old Frisian skūle, schūle (“school”) (West Frisian skoalle, Saterland Frisian Skoule), Dutch school (“school”), German Low German School (“school”), Old High German scuola (“school”), German Schule (“school”), Old Norse skóli (“school”).
Influenced in some senses by Middle English schole (“group of persons, host, company”), from Middle Dutch scole (“multitude, troop, band”). See school (“group”). Related also to Old High German sigi (German Sieg, “victory”), Old English siġe, sigor (“victory”).

## Easily confused with
- **shoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-shoo)
- **shoot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-shoot)
- **shook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-shook)
- **scoop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-scoop)
- **stool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-stool)
- **shoal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-shoal)
- **spool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-spool)
- **scoot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-scoot)
- **scroll** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-scroll)
- **schools** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-schools)
- **schooler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/school-vs-schooler)

## Common misspellings (9)
`cshool`, `scchool`, `schhool`, `schol`, `scholo`, `schooll`, `scohol`, `shcool`, `sschool`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/school