Ampersand (&)

How to read it

Unicode encodes it as U+0026 AMPERSAND, with the alias “and”, and notes that it was “originally derived from a ligature of ‘e’ and ‘t’”. Matthew Butterick’s Practical Typography calls it halfway between a ligature and a contraction: traditional ampersands take the shape of the letters et, and modern ones are often more stylised. Keith Houston’s Shady Characters says the italic ampersand of many typefaces “wears its heritage as an et-ligature on its sleeve”.

Also searched as: &, ampersand meaning, ampersand symbol, and symbol, & meaning.

When style guides use it

Mostly in names. The Guardian uses it in company names when the company does, as in Marks & Spencer, and writes “and” in the names of government departments and agencies. The US Government Publishing Office allows & in company names where the full legal title needn’t be kept, and spells out “and” for informal partnerships such as Lennon and McCartney. Butterick says ampersands are “completely correct” in a proper name and otherwise should be handled like any contraction: the more formal the document, the fewer.

Look-alikes

The Tironian et ⁊ (U+204A) also means “and”. Houston describes it as one of the shorthand signs of Tiro, Cicero’s secretary, and Unicode notes its use in Irish Gaelic and Old English. Unicode also has a turned ampersand ⅋ (U+214B), the sign upside down.