ampersand

/ˈæm.pə(ɹ).sænd/

//ˈæm.pə(ɹ).sænd// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ampersand" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ampersand” is uncommon English (frequency #79,248 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,248
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The symbol "&".

Corpus desk

Index EN-ampersand · ampersand · English

ampersand · rank #79,248 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #79,248
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH ambergris

Nearest frequency peer: ambergris (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “ampersand”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “ampersand” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ampersand
PropertyValue
Headwordampersand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæm.pə(ɹ).sænd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#79,248
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ampersand” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).ampersandfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “ambergris” (#79,246), “anan” (#79,251), “Angier” (#79,253). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “ampersand” is #79,248. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ampersand is uncommon English at frequency #79,248 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈæm.pə(ɹ).sænd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The symbol "&".".

ampersand doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: A mondegreen of and per se and, ⟨&⟩ being read as “and”. Letters used by themselves were formerly mentioned according to this pattern, as in “O per se O” for the particle O or “I per se I” for the pronoun I. “And per se and” thus meant ⟨&⟩ by itself, as opp… The correct English form is ampersand, spelled A-M-P-E-R-S-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The symbol "&".

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ampersand appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The ampersand character in many logics acts as an operator connecting two propositions.
  2. The Letter commonly called Ipse and and ampuse and viz &. is a corruption of a per se and: spoken very quick; they used formerly it seems to put a single Greek α, for a contraction of and, & so this was a per se and.

Etymology

A mondegreen of and per se and, ⟨&⟩ being read as “and”. Letters used by themselves were formerly mentioned according to this pattern, as in “O per se O” for the particle O or “I per se I” for the pronoun I. “And per se and” thus meant ⟨&⟩ by itself, as opposed to forms such as &c. The specific form ampersand is first attested in 1795, originally as a mocking pronunciation spelling, but this name for the symbol is attested since 1777 (as ampuse and), when it is already called common (see quotations).

Synonyms

epershand

This word in other languages

et(Español)esperluette(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ampersand"?
"ampersand" is spelled A-M-P-E-R-S-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæm.pə(ɹ).sænd/.
What does "ampersand" mean?
As a noun, "ampersand" means: The symbol "&".
How do you pronounce "ampersand"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ampersand" is /ˈæm.pə(ɹ).sænd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ampersand"?
A mondegreen of and per se and, ⟨&⟩ being read as “and”. Letters used by themselves were formerly mentioned according to this pattern, as in “O per se O” for the particle O or “I per se I” for the pronoun I. “And per se and” thus meant ⟨&⟩ by itse... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ampersand", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ambergris#79,246Anschluss#79,256Akhenaten#79,236archenemy#79,263

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list