Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sixth form

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English

Syllables: six-th -form
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The final two years of secondary education, during which students of about 16 to 18 years of age prepare for their A-level examinations or equivalent qualifications.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

a sixth form college.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Nathaniel: Maister, there is nobody to teach in the sixth form. Maister: What a thing is this? N: He is sick in bed. M: How do you know? N: One of the scholars in his house told me so."

Etymology

Earlier educational naming conventions in public schools termed every two years of education "forms" (itself sometimes said to be from form (“bench”), where students of certain ages would sit together, though disputed, or alternatively from form (“established method of expression or practice”)), where Years 12 and 13 (i.e. ages 16 to 18) was the "sixth" and final form. State schools adopted the term "sixth form" and retained it when the rest of the form structure was dropped.

Usage

Inflected Forms

sixth forms (plural) 6th form (alternative)

Phrases

sixth-former lower sixth upper sixth sixth form college

Frequently Paired Words

lower sixth upper sixth sixth form college college

Questions

What does sixth form mean?: The final two years of secondary education, during which students of about 16 to 18 years of age prepare for their A-level examinations or equivalent qualifications.
Where does sixth form come from?: Earlier educational naming conventions in public schools termed every two years of education "forms" (itself sometimes said to be from form (“bench”), where students of certain ages would sit together, though disputed, or alternatively from form (“established method of expression or practice”)), where Years 12 and 13 (i.e. ages 16 to 18) was the "sixth" and final form. State schools adopted the term "sixth form" and retained it when the rest of the form structure was dropped.

How to pronounce sixth form

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