---
title: "The Missing Letter from the English Alphabet"
description: "Discover how the ampersand (\u0026) was once the 27th letter of the English alphabet, and what its modern resurgence means for business communication efficiency."
categories: ["fundraising"]
keywords: ["venture capital","SaaS industry","Theory Ventures","Tomasz Tunguz","business communication efficiency","ampersand (\u0026)","alphabet history","productivity hacks","communication tools","rhyme schemes"]
ai_summary: "Exploring why the ampersand was once a letter and how its modern resurgence can improve business communication."
date: 2022-07-13
lastmod: 2026-07-21
canonical_url: https://www.tomtunguz.com/the-missing-letter/
author: "Tomasz Tunguz"
---

Before the Second World War, King George journaled the end of Neville Chamberlain’s term as prime minister: 

> “I accepted his resignation, & told him how grossly unfairly I thought he had been treated, & that I was terribly sorry that all this controversy had happened. … I sent for Winston & asked him to form a Government. This he accepted & told me he had not thought this was the reason for my having sent for him.”

Five ampersands! In three sentences! Written by a king! Of England! 

I was excited by this grammar. I wondered why an abbreviation for the [fifth most popular word in the English language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_common_words_in_English) doesn’t grace every text, email, and book today, as it did then.

Time for a Wikipedia journey. In the mid-1800s, "&" served as the [27th letter of the English language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampersand).

But when the author of the now-ubiquitous ditty “ABCDEFG” sought to rhyme “Now I know my ABCs,” Z usurped “&”. After all, what rhymes with ampersand?

Over time, “&” fell from its regal perch as a letter.

But I think it’s time for a comeback. I’m replacing the three keystrokes “a-n-d” with “&” in emails and blog posts.

A pyrrhic productivity win or an homage to the Queen’s English?  

It’s not an either/or. 

It’s an &.