The enthalpy of formation of Schottky defects in crystals of II-VI, III-V, and IV-VI compounds has been calculated with the use of a method based on Mie-Lennard Jones pair potentials, whose parameters have been determined from the experimental data on the Debye temperature, Grüneisen parameter, Pois son's ratio, elastic constants, and bulk modulus. The found values of the enthalpy of formation agree with the known literature data and can be used to calculate the density of these defects in the crystals.