Introduction
Party’s or parties can look confusing because both forms are related to the word party, but they perform completely different grammatical jobs.
Use parties when you mean more than one party. Use party’s when you mean that something belongs to one party or is associated with one singular party.
For example:
- Several parties attended the meeting. → More than one party
- The party’s decision surprised everyone. → The decision belongs to or was made by one party
The difference is mainly about number and possession. Once you understand what the apostrophe is doing, choosing between party’s and parties becomes much easier.
This guide explains the difference between party’s and parties, shows you how to use each form, and covers the related form parties’ so you can avoid common apostrophe mistakes.
What Is the Difference Between Party’s and Parties?
The simplest way to remember the difference is this:
Party’s = singular possessive
Parties = plural
The word party changes to parties when you are talking about two or more parties. However, when you add an apostrophe and s to party, you get party’s, which normally shows possession or association with one party.
Party’s Means One Party’s
Party’s is the possessive form of the singular noun party.
Examples:
- The party’s leader gave a speech.
- The party’s office is downtown.
- We discussed the party’s plans.
- The party’s members approved the proposal.
In each example, there is one party, and something is connected to that party.
A useful test is to replace party’s with of the party:
- The party’s leader → the leader of the party
- The party’s office → the office of the party
- The party’s decision → the decision of the party
If that meaning works, party’s may be the correct choice.
Parties Means More Than One Party
Parties is simply the plural form of party.
Examples:
- Several parties attended the event.
- The two parties reached an agreement.
- Three parties submitted applications.
- Both parties signed the contract.
Cambridge Dictionary lists parties as the plural of party. The noun can refer to a social gathering, a group, or one side involved in an agreement or dispute.
Quick Comparison
| Form | Grammar | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| party | Singular | One party | The party starts at eight. |
| party’s | Singular possessive | Belonging to one party | The party’s decision was final. |
| parties | Plural | More than one party | Both parties agreed. |
| parties’ | Plural possessive | Belonging to multiple parties | The parties’ agreement was signed. |
When Should You Use Party’s?
Use party’s when you are talking about something belonging to, connected with, or associated with one party.
The apostrophe before the s is important because it signals possession.
Party’s for Ownership or Association
Consider these examples:
- The party’s headquarters were renovated.
- The party’s representative answered the question.
- We reviewed the party’s proposal.
- The party’s members arrived early.
The noun following party’s identifies what belongs to or is associated with the singular party.
You can often rewrite these phrases using of:
- the party’s representative → the representative of the party
- the party’s proposal → the proposal of the party
- the party’s members → the members of the party
Purdue OWL explains that apostrophes are used to form possessives and recommends checking whether a phrase can be understood as an “of” construction when deciding whether possession is intended.
Party’s in Everyday Writing
The same rule applies whether party means a celebration, organization, group, or legal side.
For example:
Social event:
The party’s music was too loud.
Here, one party has music associated with it.
Organization:
The party’s new policy attracted attention.
Here, one organization has a policy.
Legal context:
The party’s attorney submitted the document.
Here, one party has an attorney representing it.
Party’s Can Also Appear in Contractions
There is another use of ’s that is not possessive: it can form a contraction such as party’s only if the surrounding expression actually permits a contraction involving party + is or party + has.
For example:
The party’s going to start soon.
Here, party’s means party is, not possession.
However, this construction can sometimes look ambiguous. In formal writing, rewriting the sentence can make the meaning clearer:
The party is going to start soon.
Therefore, always consider the context rather than assuming every ’s means possession.
When Should You Use Parties?
Use parties when you mean two or more parties.
Unlike party’s, the word parties does not use an apostrophe merely because it is plural.
Parties Is the Plural of Party
The spelling changes from party to parties because party ends in a consonant followed by y.
Examples:
- one party
- two parties
- one company
- two companies
- one city
- several cities
Cambridge Dictionary gives parties as the plural form of party.
Do Not Write Parties’ When You Only Mean More Than One
A common mistake is adding an apostrophe simply because a word is plural.
Incorrect:
Two party’s attended the meeting.
Correct:
Two parties attended the meeting.
The first sentence incorrectly uses a possessive form. The second sentence simply identifies multiple parties.
Purdue OWL specifically notes that apostrophes should not be used to make ordinary nouns plural.
Parties in Common Sentences
Here are some natural examples:
- Both parties signed the contract.
- Several parties expressed interest.
- The two parties met yesterday.
- All parties must follow the agreement.
- Three parties participated in the discussion.
Notice that none of these examples needs an apostrophe merely because parties refers to more than one group.
Party’s vs Parties vs Parties’: A Simple Guide
Understanding parties’ is useful because it is the plural possessive form and is often confused with party’s.
Party’s = One Party Owns or Has Something
Use party’s for possession involving one party.
The party’s representative arrived.
Meaning:
The representative of one party arrived.
Parties = More Than One Party
Use parties when you simply mean multiple parties.
The parties arrived at noon.
Meaning:
More than one party arrived.
Parties’ = Multiple Parties Own or Have Something
Use parties’ when something belongs to or is associated with multiple parties.
The parties’ representatives met privately.
Meaning:
The representatives of multiple parties met privately.
Purdue OWL and the 2025 OECD Style Guide both describe the general rule: singular nouns normally take ’s for possession, while plural nouns ending in s take an apostrophe after the s.
Step-by-Step Method
Use this three-step check:
Step 1: Are you talking about one or more than one?
- One → party
- More than one → parties
Step 2: Are you showing possession or association?
- No → use party or parties
- Yes → use a possessive form
Step 3: Apply the apostrophe rule.
- One party → party’s
- Multiple parties → parties’
For example:
The party’s proposal was accepted.
One party has a proposal.
The parties’ proposals were compared.
Multiple parties have proposals.
Common Mistakes With Party’s and Parties
The confusion usually comes from treating an apostrophe as a signal that a word is plural. It is not.
Mistake 1: Using Party’s as the Plural
Incorrect:
Several party’s attended the conference.
Correct:
Several parties attended the conference.
Why? Because you are talking about multiple parties, not possession.
Mistake 2: Using Parties for Possession
Incorrect:
The parties decision was unexpected.
Correct:
The party’s decision was unexpected.
If only one party has made the decision, use the singular possessive party’s.
Mistake 3: Confusing Parties and Parties’
Compare:
The parties signed the document.
Here, parties is plural.
The parties’ signatures appeared on the document.
Here, parties’ is plural possessive because the signatures belong to multiple parties.
Mistake 4: Adding an Apostrophe to Every Plural
The apostrophe is not a general plural marker.
You would write:
- parties
- companies
- families
- cities
- employees
Not:
- party’s
- company’s
- family’s
- city’s
- employee’s
Those apostrophe forms can be correct in other contexts, but they normally indicate singular possession rather than simple plurality.
A Real-Life Example: Choosing the Correct Form
Imagine that a writer is preparing a report about a contract involving two companies and several organizations. The writer wants to describe the people and documents involved.
The first draft says:
“The party’s agreed to meet on Monday. Each parties representative submitted a document. The parties decision will be announced later.”
At first glance, the sentences may seem understandable, but the apostrophes and plural forms are being used incorrectly.
The first sentence should be:
“The parties agreed to meet on Monday.”
There is more than one party, so parties is the correct plural.
The second sentence should be:
“Each party’s representative submitted a document.”
The phrase refers to the representative associated with each individual party. Party’s is therefore the appropriate singular possessive form.
The third sentence requires more context. If multiple parties made a joint decision, the correct form would be:
“The parties’ decision will be announced later.”
Here, parties’ indicates that the decision is associated with multiple parties.
This example shows why simply looking for an apostrophe is not enough. The writer must first determine how many parties are involved and then ask whether possession or association is being expressed.
That two-question approach How many? Possession or not? is one of the easiest ways to choose correctly among party, party’s, parties, and parties’.
What Current Data Says About Apostrophe Confusion
There is no authoritative 2025–2026 dataset that specifically measures how often English writers confuse party’s and parties. Therefore, it would be misleading to invent a statistic for this exact word pair.
However, recent research does show that apostrophe usage remains a broader area of difficulty.
A 2026 Preply survey of more than 1,500 UK adults found that only 1 in 10 participants correctly answered an apostrophe question, while 58% said they felt confident using apostrophes. The survey reported an average score of 23% across five school-level grammar questions covering areas including apostrophes, pronouns, agreement, and punctuation.
This does not prove that people specifically confuse party’s and parties. Instead, it provides useful context: confidence with apostrophes does not always correspond to accurate application of apostrophe rules.
Current style guidance also remains consistent on the core distinction. The OECD’s 2025 Style Guide states that singular nouns generally use ’s for possession, while plural nouns ending in s take an apostrophe after the s.
For party, that produces:
- party’s → singular possessive
- parties → plural
- parties’ → plural possessive
Mini Quiz:Party’s or Parties
1. Choose the correct form:
“The _____ leader gave a speech.” The sentence refers to one party.
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: B. party’s
2. Which sentence correctly uses parties?
A. The parties signed the agreement.
B. The party’s signed the agreement.
C. The parties’ signed the agreement.
D. The party signed the agreements.
Answer: A. The parties signed the agreement.
3. Complete the sentence:
“The _____ decision surprised everyone.” One party made the decision.
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: B. party’s
4. True or False:
Parties is the plural form of party.
Answer: True
5. Which form means something belongs to multiple parties?
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: D. parties’
6. Choose the correct sentence.
A. Several party’s attended the meeting.
B. Several parties attended the meeting.
C. Several parties’ attended the meeting.
D. Several party attended the meeting.
Answer: B. Several parties attended the meeting.
7. Which sentence correctly uses parties’?
A. The parties’ representatives met.
B. The parties representatives met.
C. The party’s representatives met.
D. The party representatives’ met.
Answer: A. The parties’ representatives met.
8. True or False:
The apostrophe in party’s can indicate singular possession.
Answer: True
9. Which sentence means that multiple parties made one decision?
A. The party’s decision was announced.
B. The parties decision was announced.
C. The parties’ decision was announced.
D. The party decision was announced.
Answer: C. The parties’ decision was announced.
10. Complete the sentence:
“Both _____ agreed to the terms.”
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: C. parties
11. Which phrase refers to the office belonging to one party?
A. the party office
B. the party’s office
C. the parties office
D. the parties’ office
Answer: B. the party’s office
12. Which sentence correctly uses parties without an apostrophe?
A. Two parties reached an agreement.
B. Two party’s reached an agreement.
C. Two parties’ reached an agreement.
D. Two party reached an agreement.
Answer: A. Two parties reached an agreement.
13. Complete the sentence:
“The _____ representative spoke first.” Multiple parties have representatives.
A. party’s
B. parties
C. parties’
D. party
Answer: C. parties’
14. True or False:
An apostrophe should be added to party simply because the noun refers to more than one party.
Answer: False
The ordinary plural is parties, without an apostrophe.
15. Which sentence correctly describes one party’s members?
A. The party’s members arrived.
B. The parties members arrived.
C. The parties’ members arrived.
D. The party members’ arrived.
Answer: A. The party’s members arrived.
16. Complete the sentence:
“The two _____ exchanged documents.”
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: C. parties
17. Which sentence correctly uses the singular possessive form?
A. The party’s policy changed.
B. The parties policy changed.
C. The parties’ policy changed.
D. The party policy’s changed.
Answer: A. The party’s policy changed.
18. Complete the sentence:
“The agreement protects the interests of both _____.”
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: C. parties
19. Which phrase correctly shows that a document belongs to multiple parties?
A. the parties document
B. the party’s document
C. the parties’ document
D. the party document
Answer: C. the parties’ document
20. Which statement correctly distinguishes parties from party’s?
A. Parties is plural; party’s is singular possessive.
B. Parties is singular; party’s is plural.
C. Both are ordinary plural forms.
D. Both are singular possessive forms.
Answer: A. Parties is plural; party’s is singular possessive.
21. Choose the correct sentence:
“The _____ representatives signed separate documents.” Multiple parties are involved.
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: D. parties’
22. Which sentence uses party correctly as a singular noun without possession?
A. The party arrived early.
B. The party’s arrived early.
C. The parties arrived early.
D. The parties’ arrived early.
Answer: A. The party arrived early.
23. Which sentence is grammatically correct?
A. Both parties’ signed the contract.
B. Both party’s signed the contract.
C. Both parties signed the contract.
D. Both party signed the contract.
Answer: C. Both parties signed the contract.
24. Complete the sentence:
“The _____ agreement was reviewed by lawyers.” The agreement belongs to multiple parties.
A. party
B. party’s
C. parties
D. parties’
Answer: D. parties’
25. Which memory rule is correct?
A. One party + possession = party’s
B. More than one party + no possession = parties’
C. One party + possession = parties’
D. More than one party + no possession = party’s
Answer: A. One party + possession = party’s
Quick Rule to Remember
- party = one party
- party’s = one party + possession
- parties = more than one party
- parties’ = more than one party + possession
Frequently Asked Questions About Party’s or Parties
Q1:Is “parties” the plural of “party”?
Yes. Parties is the standard plural form of party.
Example:
One party attended.
Two parties attended.
Cambridge Dictionary lists parties as the plural form.
Q2:Is “party’s” grammatically correct?
Yes. Party’s is grammatically correct when it functions as a singular possessive or, depending on context, a contraction of party is or party has.
Example:
The party’s leader spoke to reporters.
Here, the leader is associated with one party.
Q3:Is “party’s” the plural of “party”?
No. The plural is parties.
Party’s normally indicates singular possession, while parties means more than one party.
Q4:What is the difference between “party’s” and “parties’”?
Party’s is singular possessive:
The party’s leader
Parties’ is plural possessive:
The parties’ leaders
The first refers to one party; the second refers to multiple parties.
Q5:Should I write “the parties decision”?
No, if the decision belongs to multiple parties.
Write:
The parties’ decision
If the decision belongs to one party, write:
The party’s decision
Q6:Is “parties” ever written with an apostrophe?
Yes, when it is possessive:
The parties’ agreement was finalized.
But you should not add an apostrophe simply to make party plural.
Q7:How can I quickly remember party’s vs parties?
Use this simple formula:
One + possession = party’s
More than one + no possession = parties
More than one + possession = parties’
For example:
- One party’s representative
- Several parties
- The parties’ representatives
Conclusion
The difference between party’s or parties becomes simple once you separate number from possession.
- Party = one
- Party’s = one party + possession
- Parties = more than one
- Parties’ = more than one + possession
Remember that an apostrophe does not automatically make a noun plural. In most ordinary cases, parties is the plural form, while party’s shows singular possession.
When you are unsure, ask yourself two questions: Am I talking about one party or multiple parties? Am I showing possession? Those answers will usually tell you exactly which form to use.
For more clear explanations of commonly confused English words and grammar rules, explore the other language guides on Lingorixa.
References
Maimoona Asghar is a grammar enthusiast and language writer who creates clear, practical content to help learners improve English grammar, writing, punctuation, and communication skills through easy-to-understand explanations and examples.
