diff --git a/sql/catalyst/src/main/antlr4/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/parser/SqlBase.g4 b/sql/catalyst/src/main/antlr4/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/parser/SqlBase.g4
index 69deeb518d6e5..4aab9b5ab53d5 100644
--- a/sql/catalyst/src/main/antlr4/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/parser/SqlBase.g4
+++ b/sql/catalyst/src/main/antlr4/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/parser/SqlBase.g4
@@ -78,11 +78,11 @@ singleTableSchema
 statement
     : query                                                            #statementDefault
     | USE db=identifier                                                #use
-    | CREATE DATABASE (IF NOT EXISTS)? identifier
+    | CREATE database (IF NOT EXISTS)? identifier
         (COMMENT comment=STRING)? locationSpec?
         (WITH DBPROPERTIES tablePropertyList)?                         #createDatabase
-    | ALTER DATABASE identifier SET DBPROPERTIES tablePropertyList     #setDatabaseProperties
-    | DROP DATABASE (IF EXISTS)? identifier (RESTRICT | CASCADE)?      #dropDatabase
+    | ALTER database identifier SET DBPROPERTIES tablePropertyList     #setDatabaseProperties
+    | DROP database (IF EXISTS)? identifier (RESTRICT | CASCADE)?      #dropDatabase
     | createTableHeader ('(' colTypeList ')')? tableProvider
         ((OPTIONS options=tablePropertyList) |
         (PARTITIONED BY partitionColumnNames=identifierList) |
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ statement
         (LIKE? (qualifiedName | pattern=STRING))?                      #showFunctions
     | SHOW CREATE TABLE tableIdentifier                                #showCreateTable
     | (DESC | DESCRIBE) FUNCTION EXTENDED? describeFuncName            #describeFunction
-    | (DESC | DESCRIBE) DATABASE EXTENDED? identifier                  #describeDatabase
+    | (DESC | DESCRIBE) database EXTENDED? identifier                  #describeDatabase
     | (DESC | DESCRIBE) TABLE? option=(EXTENDED | FORMATTED)?
         tableIdentifier partitionSpec? describeColName?                #describeTable
     | REFRESH TABLE tableIdentifier                                    #refreshTable
@@ -274,6 +274,11 @@ partitionVal
     : identifier (EQ constant)?
     ;
 
+database
+    : DATABASE
+    | SCHEMA
+    ;
+
 describeFuncName
     : qualifiedName
     | STRING
@@ -750,7 +755,7 @@ number
     | MINUS? BIGDECIMAL_LITERAL       #bigDecimalLiteral
     ;
 
-// NOTE: You must follow a rule below when you add a new ANTLR taken in this file:
+// NOTE: You must follow a rule below when you add a new ANTLR token in this file:
 //  - All the ANTLR tokens = UNION(`ansiReserved`, `ansiNonReserved`) = UNION(`defaultReserved`, `nonReserved`)
 //
 // Let's say you add a new token `NEWTOKEN` and this is not reserved regardless of a `spark.sql.parser.ansi.enabled`
@@ -1014,7 +1019,8 @@ SORTED: 'SORTED';
 PURGE: 'PURGE';
 INPUTFORMAT: 'INPUTFORMAT';
 OUTPUTFORMAT: 'OUTPUTFORMAT';
-DATABASE: 'DATABASE' | 'SCHEMA';
+SCHEMA: 'SCHEMA';
+DATABASE: 'DATABASE';
 DATABASES: 'DATABASES' | 'SCHEMAS';
 DFS: 'DFS';
 TRUNCATE: 'TRUNCATE';
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParserSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParserSuite.scala
index 31b9bcdafbab8..038871cb1fc12 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParserSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParserSuite.scala
@@ -387,4 +387,12 @@ class SparkSqlParserSuite extends AnalysisTest {
       "INSERT INTO tbl2 SELECT * WHERE jt.id > 4",
       "Operation not allowed: ALTER VIEW ... AS FROM ... [INSERT INTO ...]+")
   }
+
+  test("database and schema tokens are interchangeable") {
+    assertEqual("CREATE DATABASE foo", parser.parsePlan("CREATE SCHEMA foo"))
+    assertEqual("DROP DATABASE foo", parser.parsePlan("DROP SCHEMA foo"))
+    assertEqual("ALTER DATABASE foo SET DBPROPERTIES ('x' = 'y')",
+      parser.parsePlan("ALTER SCHEMA foo SET DBPROPERTIES ('x' = 'y')"))
+    assertEqual("DESC DATABASE foo", parser.parsePlan("DESC SCHEMA foo"))
+  }
 }