Grade School Is American; Britain Says Primary
A grade is a level or a mark. American and British education use the word in almost entirely different ways.
A grade is a level, a rank, or a mark awarded for work. Education splits sharply here: American children are in *fifth grade*, while British children are in *Year 6*, and *grade school* has no British equivalent at all. The one shared use is grades as marks — an A grade means the same in both. In American English *grade* also means the slope of a road, where Britain says *gradient*.
- A mark for work. *A top grade.*
- A school year (American). *Fifth grade.*
- A rank or level. *Grade two listed.*
- A slope (American). *A steep grade.*
- Gradient — the British word for slope. *A 1 in 10 gradient.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | grade | A high grade. |
| Plural | grades | Good grades. |
| Verb | grade | Grade the papers. |
| Noun | gradient | A gradient. |
| Latin | gradus | A step. |
- She got top grades.Marks: shared.
- He is in third grade.American school year.
- The train slowed on the grade.American: slope.
The gradus family
- Grade — a step or level
- Gradual — proceeding by steps
- Graduate — one who has taken the step
- Degree — from *de* plus *gradus*, a step down
- Ingredient — that which steps into a mixture
French *grade*, from Latin *gradus*, a step or degree, from *gradi*, to walk or step.
What is grade school?
An American term for primary or elementary school. Britain uses primary school and numbered Years.
Are grade and gradient the same?
For road slopes, yes. Grade is American usage, gradient British.