The choice between vacancy vs vacancies comes down to number: use vacancy for a single empty place or job opening, and vacancies for two or more. “There is one vacancy” becomes “There are three vacancies” as the count changes, and the verb must change with it.
Vacancy and vacancies at a glance
- Vacancy is the singular countable noun for one empty place or one job opening.
- Vacancies is its regular plural, used for two or more openings, rooms or seats.
- Both forms name the same idea; the only difference is grammatical number.
- Singular vacancy pairs with is or was and the article a; plural vacancies pairs with are or were.
- The commonest error is mismatched agreement, as in there are a vacancy, which is never correct.
What do vacancy and vacancies mean?
Vacancy is a singular countable noun meaning an unfilled post, an unoccupied room or a formal absence, and vacancies is simply its plural. The Cambridge entry for vacancy and the Cambridge entry for vacancies show the same senses at the two numbers. Where a writer needs the adjective rather than the noun, an open position keeps the sense with a different word class.
| Sense | Plain meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Job opening, singular | One unfilled post | The firm advertised a vacancy in accounts. |
| Job openings, plural | Two or more unfilled posts | The firm advertised three vacancies in accounts. |
| Empty room, singular | One unoccupied room | The hotel had a vacancy on the top floor. |
| Empty rooms, plural | Two or more unoccupied rooms | The sign said there were no vacancies. |
| Absence, formal | A gap where something should be | The committee noted a vacancy on the bench. |
One limitation is worth stating. Neither form is a synonym for emptiness in general; a vacant look or a vacant lot takes the adjective vacant, not the noun. The noun names a countable opening, which is why it pairs with numbers and articles rather than with a general sense of hollowness.
Vacancy vs vacancies: the master comparison
Almost every practical difference follows from grammatical number, so the table below sets the two forms side by side across the features a writer actually weighs.
| Feature | vacancy (singular) | vacancies (plural) |
|---|---|---|
| Grammatical number | One | Two or more |
| Article | a or the vacancy | the vacancies, or no article |
| Verb agreement | is, was, has been | are, were, have been |
| Count words | one, a, another | two, several, many, all |
| A job notice says | We have a vacancy. | We have three vacancies. |
| A hotel sign says | One room free: a vacancy | No rooms free: no vacancies |
The test is simple: count the openings. If the answer is one, use vacancy with a singular verb; if it is two or more, use vacancies with a plural verb. Nothing else about the word changes, which is why the choice is grammar rather than meaning.
How do you use vacancy and vacancies in a sentence?
Match the form to the number and the verb to the form. Singular vacancy follows a or one and takes is, while plural vacancies follows a number or a determiner such as several and takes are. A formal notice about a group of openings often prefers availability of posts when it wants a softer, less countable tone.
| Pattern | Example | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| a / one vacancy | There is a vacancy for a cook. | A single post, with singular agreement. |
| two / several vacancies | There are two vacancies for cooks. | A count of posts, with plural agreement. |
| fill a vacancy | They filled the vacancy in a week. | The act of taking one open post. |
| no vacancies | The sign read no vacancies. | A fixed plural notice meaning everything is full. |
| a vacancy rate | The city reported a falling vacancy rate. | A percentage that treats the word as a measure. |
Two conventions are worth learning. The job-hunting phrase fill a vacancy is always singular, because a person takes one post at a time. The hotel phrase no vacancies is always plural, because it describes the whole stock of rooms at once.
Vacancy and vacancies in a sentence: examples across contexts
The sentences below keep the same noun while the setting moves from a hotel desk to a hospital report. Notice that each plural example is doing a count, which is the clearest signal that vacancies is the right form. A synonym such as a job opening can replace the noun, but it still needs the same number agreement.
| Context | Example sentence | Why this works |
|---|---|---|
| Job listing | We have a vacancy for a part-time assistant. | One post, so the singular and a are used. |
| Recruitment email | Two vacancies remain on the night shift. | A count of posts, so the plural follows. |
| Hotel sign | No vacancies for the holiday weekend. | The fixed plural notice that means the hotel is full. |
| Front desk | Do you have a vacancy for tonight? | Asking about one room calls for the singular. |
| News report | The trust reported twelve vacancies among its nurses. | Plural after a number, the natural reported form. |
| Academic office | A vacancy on the committee will be filled in May. | One seat, so the singular with a. |
| HR memo | All vacancies must be posted internally first. | The plural covers every post as a group. |
| Conversation | I hear there is a vacancy at the cafe. | An informal report of one opening. |
| Theatre | The box office had no vacancies for Friday. | The plural notice again, this time for seats. |
| Employment report | The vacancy rate fell for a third month. | A compound noun that names a statistic. |
| Apartment ad | One vacancy left in the building. | A single empty unit, so the singular. |
| Board minutes | Three vacancies were noted and deferred. | Plural subject with the plural verb were. |
Which should you use?
The number in your sentence decides the form, and four common situations map to a firm answer with no overlap.
| Situation | Use | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising one open post | vacancy | One post takes the singular and the article a. |
| Listing several open posts | vacancies | A count of two or more takes the plural. |
| Putting out a full sign | vacancies | The fixed phrase is no vacancies, always plural. |
| Asking about one room | a vacancy | A single room is one countable vacancy. |
When in doubt, read the sentence aloud and listen to the verb. If it says is, the noun must be vacancy; if it says are, the noun must be vacancies. That single test resolves almost every case without a dictionary.
Word forms and grammar of vacancy and vacancies
The noun forms a regular plural, and the same family supplies an adjective, an adverb and a verb. A related noun, a position to fill, is often used in job adverts when a writer wants to avoid repeating vacancy too often. The same word also covers a formal absence, close to a gap in the team where a seat has been left unfilled.
| Form | Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| vacancy | singular noun | One vacancy is still open. |
| vacancies | plural noun | Two vacancies are still open. |
| vacant | adjective | The seat beside me is vacant. |
| vacantly | adverb | He stared vacantly at the board. |
| vacate | verb | Guests must vacate by noon. |
| vacancy rate | compound noun | The vacancy rate rose in winter. |
One small spelling rule matters: the plural adds -ies because the singular ends in a consonant plus y, so vacancy becomes vacancies. The adjective stays vacant and the verb is vacate, which is why a sentence about leaving a room says the guests vacate, not the guests vacancy.
Common mistakes with vacancy and vacancies
- Incorrect:
There are a vacancy in the office.Correct: There is a vacancy in the office. Rule: The singular noun needs the singular verb is. - Incorrect:
There is three vacancies today.Correct: There are three vacancies today. Rule: A plural noun needs the plural verb are. - Incorrect:
The sign said no vacancy.Correct: The sign said no vacancies. Rule: The fixed notice is plural, so no vacancies is the standard form. - Incorrect:
We filled two vacancy last month.Correct: We filled two vacancies last month. Rule: A number above one takes the plural noun. - Incorrect:
She has a vacancies for a clerk.Correct: She has a vacancy for a clerk. Rule: The article a appears only with the singular form.
Practice using vacancy and vacancies
Work through the six items, then check the reasoning rather than only the answer.
- Fill the gap: The hotel had no ______ for the whole weekend.
- Choose the better word: The company posted (a vacancy / vacancies) for three drivers.
- Correct the error: There is two vacancies on the board.
- Build a sentence: use fill a vacancy about a school hiring a caretaker.
- Spot the register: which suits a formal notice — No vacancies for June, or Sorry, we are full.
- Rewrite in the plural: The office has one vacancy. Use vacancies.
Answers
- vacancies — the fixed notice is always plural, meaning every room is taken.
- vacancies — three posts take the plural noun.
- There are two vacancies on the board — the plural noun needs are.
- Model answer: The school hopes to fill a vacancy for a caretaker by September.
- No vacancies for June — a formal notice keeps the fixed plural phrase.
- The office has two vacancies — the plural names more than one opening.
The bottom line
Use vacancy for one opening or empty place and vacancies for two or more, and let the number decide the article and the verb. The two facts that settle most sentences are that the forms differ only in number and that each keeps its own agreement, so a vacancy is open but three vacancies are open. For a single room, ask about a room for the night and the same rule applies.
Frequently asked questions about vacancy and vacancies
Is vacancies a different word from vacancy?
No, they are the same noun at different grammatical numbers. Vacancy names one opening or empty place, and vacancies names two or more. The meaning does not change, so the only decision is which number the sentence needs, and the verb and article must match that choice.
Why do signs say no vacancies?
The phrase is a fixed plural notice meaning that every room or post is taken, so it never appears as no vacancy. English treats the whole stock as a set, which is why the plural is used even when a single room is the topic. A sign that read no vacancy would look like a mistake.
Which verb goes with vacancy and vacancies?
Singular vacancy takes is, was and has been, while plural vacancies takes are, were and have been. The rule is ordinary subject-verb agreement, so there is a vacancy but there are three vacancies. Mismatching the verb is the commonest error with these two forms.
Can vacancy mean something other than a job?
Yes. Vacancy also means an empty room, seat or position on a committee, and in a formal register it can mean an absence where something should be. A hotel advertises vacancies, a theatre sells vacancies and a board notes a vacancy, all using the same noun with the same singular and plural behaviour.
