What is the Alt code for the ampersand symbol?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 38 on the numeric keypad (Alt+38), or use Alt+0038 for the same result.

How do I type the ampersand symbol on a Mac?

Press Shift+7 on a standard US keyboard layout. It is a normal shifted key, not a special character combo.

What is the HTML entity for the ampersand?

Use & or the numeric entity & in HTML. A raw & in markup can be misread as the start of another entity, so & is the safe form to use in attributes and text content.

What is the Unicode code point for the ampersand?

The standard ampersand is U+0026. A fullwidth version exists at U+FF06 (＆), and a small form used in some East Asian typesetting exists at U+FE60 (﹠).

Do I need to escape the ampersand in a URL?

Yes, inside a query string an unencoded & separates parameters. Encode a literal ampersand value as %26.

Where does the ampersand symbol come from?

It developed from a ligature of the Latin word "et," meaning "and." Some old serif fonts still show the "et" shape in the glyph design.

Ampersand Symbol

Name: Ampersand Symbol
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Copy the ampersand symbol (&) and find its Alt code, Unicode value, and HTML entity for any operating system.

Ampersand Symbol

Click the symbol to copy it

Formats

Character &

Unicode U+0026

HTML entity &

HTML decimal &

CSS escape \0026

URL encoded %26

Click any row to copy that exact string.

Keyboard Shortcuts

System	Shortcut	Notes
Windows		Hold Alt, type 38 on the numeric keypad.
Windows (Unicode)		Same result using the 4-digit code.
Mac / Standard keyboard		Standard shifted key on a US keyboard layout.
Linux (GTK)		Type the hex code, then press Enter or Space.
Microsoft Word		Type 0026 then press Alt+X to convert it.

Try it

Join two words with an ampersand and copy the result, plain or HTML-safe.

Salt&Pepper

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Summary

Copy the ampersand symbol (&) and find its Alt code, Unicode value, and HTML entity for any operating system.

How it works

Click the large ampersand to copy the plain & character to your clipboard.
Or click any format in the list (Unicode, HTML entity, CSS escape) to copy that exact string.
Switch to the fullwidth or small ampersand card to copy those variant forms.
Use the shortcut table to type the symbol directly from your keyboard on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Paste the symbol anywhere: documents, spreadsheets, code, or chat.

Use cases

Write company names like "Johnson & Sons" without your editor auto-correcting the symbol.
Insert the correct HTML entity (&) instead of a raw & that can break markup.
Add a fullwidth ampersand (＆) when typesetting alongside CJK text.
Escape an ampersand for a URL query string or XML attribute.
Learn the Alt code or keyboard shortcut so you never need to look it up again.
Copy the small ampersand (﹠) used in some vertical or compact typesetting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu