Multiple choice general knowledge Was the ampersand (&) ever a letter in the alphabet? True False Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself A Correct answer Explanation The ampersand (&) was historically taught as the 27th letter of the English alphabet in the 1800s. Children would recite 'X, Y, Z, and per se and' (meaning 'and by itself is and'), which eventually evolved into the word 'ampersand'.