It's not entirely accurate to talk about the "valency" of a molecule like H₂O (water). Valency typically refers to the combining capacity of an atom, not a molecule.

Here's why:

* Hydrogen (H): Each hydrogen atom has a valency of 1.

* Oxygen (O): Oxygen has a valency of 2.

In water, the oxygen atom shares its two electrons with two hydrogen atoms, forming two covalent bonds. This results in a stable molecule.

Instead of "valency", we can talk about the "oxidation states" of the elements in the water molecule:

* Hydrogen (H): +1

* Oxygen (O): -2

This indicates that the oxygen atom "holds" a greater share of the electrons in the covalent bonds.

So, while we don't talk about the "valency" of H₂O, we can understand its structure and bonding based on the valencies of the individual atoms within it.