A neutral atom of oxygen has 6 valence electrons.
Oxygen (O) is in Group 16 (also known as Group VIA or Group 6A) of the periodic table. Elements in Group 16 typically have six valence electrons, as they have six electrons in their outermost energy level (n = 2) in the p orbital.
Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom, and they are the ones involved in chemical bonding and reactions. In the case of oxygen, the electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴, with the 2p orbital containing the six valence electrons.