Home › Punctuation & Text Symbols › Ampersand
Ampersand Symbol (&)
The ampersand (&) is the stylish shorthand for 'and' — once counted as the 27th letter of the alphabet.
Ampersand codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+0026 |
| Unicode name | Ampersand |
| HTML named entity | & |
| HTML decimal | & |
| HTML hex | & |
| CSS content code | \26 |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u0026 |
| Windows Alt code | No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above |
Ampersand variants (5)
5 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
The ampersand began as a squished-together Latin 'et', meaning and, and it was once recited at the end of the alphabet — children said 'and per se and', which over time slurred into the word 'ampersand'. Today it lives in company names (Procter & Gamble), film and book titles, and any heading where a designer wants 'and' to look elegant rather than plain. In spreadsheets and code it also joins text together, but in normal writing save it for names, titles and tight spaces.
Examples in use
- Fish & Chips
- Smith & Co.
- R&D — research & development
How to type the ampersand
Windows
Press Shift+7 — the Ampersand is a standard keyboard character.
Mac
Press Shift+7 — the same as on Windows.
iPhone & Android
Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for &. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)
Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 0026 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called an ampersand?
Victorian schoolchildren recited the alphabet ending '…X, Y, Z, and per se and', where 'and per se' meant the symbol standing by itself. The phrase blurred into 'ampersand'.
Should I use & instead of 'and' in essays?
In formal writing, spell out 'and'. The ampersand is accepted in names, titles, headings and informal text where space is tight.
Why does & sometimes show as a box or question mark?
The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+0026 (Ampersand). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the Ampersand free to use?
Yes. & is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.
Related symbols
More in Punctuation & Text Symbols · All symbols
Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13