The correct plural form of party is parties, not partys.
The two forms can look confusing because many English nouns simply take -s to become plural. However, party follows a common spelling pattern for nouns ending in a consonant followed by y.
When you mean more than one party, write parties:
We attended three parties last month.
The spelling partys is not the standard plural form in American English.
There is another reason this word can cause confusion. Writers may also encounter party’s and parties’. Those forms have different grammatical functions and should not be substituted for parties.
Quick Answer
Use parties when you mean more than one party.
- party = one
- parties = more than one
- partys = not the standard plural spelling
- party’s = usually the singular possessive form
- parties’ = plural possessive form
For example:
We went to two birthday parties.
Not:
We went to two birthday partys.
The spelling changes from party to parties because the word ends in a consonant plus y. In this pattern, the y changes to i before -es is added.
Why People Confuse Them
The confusion usually comes from applying the simplest plural rule: add s.
That works for many words:
- book → books
- car → cars
- house → houses
But party does not become partys. Its final y follows a different spelling pattern.
Compare:
- party → parties
- city → cities
- family → families
- company → companies
In each case, the word ends in a consonant followed by y.
The apostrophe creates another possible source of confusion. Party’s is not the plural of party. It normally shows that something belongs to or is associated with one party. Parties’ is the possessive form used with multiple parties.
Key Differences At A Glance
| Context | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One social event | party | Singular noun |
| More than one social event | parties | Standard plural |
| More than one group or side | parties | Standard plural |
| Something belonging to one party | party’s | Singular possessive |
| Something belonging to multiple parties | parties’ | Plural possessive |
| Intended plural written as “partys” | parties | Partys is not the standard plural |
The central difference is grammatical, not a difference in pronunciation or regional spelling. Dictionaries list parties as the plural of party.
A Simple Comparison
| Feature | parties | partys |
|---|---|---|
| Standard English form | Yes | No |
| Plural of party | Yes | No |
| Means more than one party | Yes | Intended, but incorrectly spelled |
| Used in edited US English | Yes | No |
Meaning and Usage Difference
Parties has the same basic meanings that party has, but it refers to more than one.
A party can be a social event:
We are having a birthday party on Saturday.
The plural is:
We are having two birthday parties this month.
The word can also refer to a political organization:
Several political parties participated in the election.
In formal contexts, party can refer to a person or group involved in an agreement, dispute, or legal matter. The plural is again parties:
Both parties signed the agreement.
Cambridge and Oxford both document these different uses of party and list parties as its plural.
The spelling partys does not represent a separate meaning. It is simply not the standard plural spelling.
Why Does Party Become Parties?
The spelling follows the consonant + y pattern.
The word party ends with t + y. Because t is a consonant, the plural changes y to i and adds -es:
party → parties
This is the same pattern seen in:
- city → cities
- baby → babies
- story → stories
- country → countries
That is why partys is incorrect when you mean multiple parties.
Tone, Context, and Formality
There is no meaningful difference in tone or formality between parties and partys.
Parties is the standard form and can be used in casual, academic, professional, business, and formal writing.
For example:
We went to several parties during the summer.
This is natural in everyday conversation.
In a formal setting:
Both parties agreed to the terms of the contract.
Here, parties refers to the people or groups involved in an agreement.
The spelling partys should not be selected for informal writing. A casual text does not make partys the standard plural.
The correct spelling remains parties.
Which One Should You Use?
Choose parties whenever you mean two or more parties.
Use it for:
- birthday parties
- dinner parties
- holiday parties
- political parties
- business parties
- interested parties
- third parties
- parties to an agreement
For example:
Several parties expressed interest in the project.
We attended two holiday parties.
The two parties reached an agreement.
The correct choice does not depend on whether party refers to an event, organization, group, or side in an agreement. When the noun is plural, the spelling is parties.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
The spelling partys looks wrong because it does not follow the standard plural spelling of party.
For example:
❌ We planned three partys.
The correction is:
✅ We planned three parties.
Another mistake is using party’s simply because you mean more than one:
❌ There were several party’s at the venue.
The correct sentence is:
✅ There were several parties at the venue.
The apostrophe in party’s normally signals a possessive relationship involving one party:
The party’s decorations were beautiful.
Here, the decorations are associated with one party.
When multiple parties possess or are associated with something, the plural possessive form is parties’:
The parties’ representatives met yesterday.
Plural nouns ending in s generally form the possessive by adding an apostrophe after the final s.
Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
Mistake 1: Writing “partys”
❌ We went to several partys.
Fix:
✅ We went to several parties.
Remember: party → parties.
Mistake 2: Using “party’s” for a plural
❌ The three party’s signed the document.
Fix:
✅ The three parties signed the document.
Party’s does not normally mean “more than one party.”
Mistake 3: Confusing “parties” with “parties’”
❌ The parties agreement was signed.
If the agreement belongs to or concerns multiple parties, write:
✅ The parties’ agreement was signed.
The apostrophe comes after the s because parties is already plural.
Mistake 4: Using “parties’” when no possession is intended
❌ We attended three parties’.
Fix:
✅ We attended three parties.
An ordinary plural does not need an apostrophe.
Everyday Examples
Here are natural examples showing how parties works in American English.
Social events
We attended two birthday parties last weekend.
The neighborhood hosts several holiday parties each year.
She planned separate parties for her two children.
Groups
A party of six arrived for dinner.
When referring to more than one such group, parties can be used according to the context.
Formal agreements
Both parties signed the contract.
The agreement protects the interests of all parties involved.
The two parties met to discuss the issue.
Political organizations
Several political parties participated in the debate.
The major parties presented different proposals.
The meaning changes according to context, but the plural spelling remains parties.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
Parties can also be a verb form of party.
As a verb, party means to enjoy yourself at a party or social gathering. In the third-person singular present tense, it becomes parties:
He parties with his friends on weekends.
This is different from the noun parties, which means more than one party.
So the same spelling can have two grammatical roles:
- Noun: We attended several parties.
- Verb: She parties with her friends.
The spelling partys is not the standard form of either the plural noun or the third-person singular verb. Cambridge lists party as both a noun and an informal verb, while standard spelling rules change final consonant + y to i before -es.
Noun
Parties: the standard plural noun form of party.
It can refer to:
- more than one social event
- more than one political organization
- more than one group
- more than one person or group involved in an agreement or dispute
Examples:
We went to three parties.
The political parties debated the proposal.
Both parties agreed to the contract.
Oxford lists parties as the plural form of party.
Partys: not the standard plural noun form in American English.
Synonyms
Parties: There is no single exact synonym that works in every meaning because party has several senses.
For the social-event meaning, closest plain alternatives can include gatherings or celebrations, depending on context.
For the formal group meaning, alternatives may include groups, sides, or participants, but these do not always have exactly the same meaning.
Partys: No synonyms apply because it is not the standard plural form.
The safest choice is to use parties when the intended meaning is the plural of party.
Example Sentences
Parties
We attended several parties during the summer.
The two parties signed the agreement.
Several political parties participated in the discussion.
The restaurant accepts parties of eight or more.
Partys
There are no standard examples because partys is not the standard plural spelling.
Incorrect:
❌ The school hosted three partys.
Correct:
✅ The school hosted three parties.
Word History
Parties is the established plural form of party. Oxford traces party through Middle English and Old French, with a connection to the Latin verb partiri, meaning “divide into parts.” Oxford also notes the development of different senses of the word over time.
The spelling parties follows the regular spelling pattern for nouns ending in a consonant plus y. There is no need to treat partys as a historical or regional alternative in standard American English.
Phrases Containing
Parties appears naturally in many common phrases, including:
- birthday parties
- dinner parties
- holiday parties
- political parties
- interested parties
- both parties
- third parties
- parties involved
- parties to an agreement
- parties concerned
Examples:
Both parties agreed to the new schedule.
We attended several holiday parties.
The company notified all interested parties.
These phrases show that parties works across both everyday and formal contexts.
FAQs
Is “parties” or “partys” correct?
Parties is correct. It is the standard plural form of party. The spelling partys is incorrect in standard American English.
What is the plural of “party”?
The plural of party is parties.
Example:
We attended three birthday parties last month.
Why is “party” spelled “parties” in the plural?
Because party ends in a consonant followed by y. In this spelling pattern, the y changes to i, and -es is added.
party → parties
Is “partys” a real word?
Partys is not the standard plural spelling of party. When referring to more than one party, use parties.
Is “party’s” the plural of “party”?
No. Party’s is generally the singular possessive form.
Example:
The party’s location was changed.
Here, the apostrophe shows that the location is associated with one party.
What is the difference between “parties” and “parties’”?
Parties is the ordinary plural form, while parties’ is the plural possessive form.
Example:
Several parties attended the meeting.
Example:
The parties’ representatives met afterward.
Is “parties” used only for social events?
No. Parties can refer to several social events, groups, political organizations, or sides involved in an agreement or dispute.
Examples:
- We attended two birthday parties.
- Both parties signed the agreement.
- Several political parties joined the discussion.
Can “parties” be a verb?
Yes. Parties can be the third-person singular present form of the verb party.
Example:
He parties with his friends on weekends.
As a noun, parties means more than one party.
Should I write “birthday partys” or “birthday parties”?
You should write birthday parties.
Correct: We planned two birthday parties.
Incorrect: We planned two birthday partys.
Is “parties” correct in American English?
Yes. Parties is the standard plural form used in American English. It is appropriate in casual, professional, academic, and formal writing.
Do I need an apostrophe in “parties”?
Not when parties is simply plural.
Correct:
There were several parties this weekend.
An apostrophe is needed only when you are showing possession or another appropriate apostrophe function.
What is the easiest way to remember “party” plural?
Remember this simple spelling pattern:
party → parties
When a word ends in a consonant + y, the y commonly changes to i before -es is added. That gives you parties, not partys.
Conclusion
Parties is the correct standard form when you mean more than one party.
The basic pattern is:
party → parties
The spelling partys is not the standard plural form.
Keep the related forms separate:
- party = one
- parties = more than one
- party’s = usually belonging to one party
- parties’ = belonging to multiple parties
Once you recognize the consonant + y spelling pattern, choosing parties becomes straightforward.
