LaTeX Error: Misplaced alignment tab character &
This error means an ampersand & appeared where LaTeX did not expect a column separator — usually a literal & in normal text, or a matrix/align used without amsmath. For a literal ampersand, write \&. Inside math, load \usepackage{amsmath} and use a proper environment such as matrix, bmatrix, or align.
Why it happens
The & character is the column separator in tabular, array, matrix, and align. Outside those environments — or in a matrix whose package is not loaded — LaTeX has no column to separate, so it reports "Misplaced alignment tab character &". The related "Extra alignment tab has been changed to \cr" means a row has more & than the column spec allows.
Example
% Wrong — literal ampersand in text:
Smith & Jones (2020)
% Fix — escape it:
Smith \& Jones (2020)
% Wrong — matrix without amsmath:
\begin{matrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{matrix}
% Fix — load amsmath in the preamble:
\usepackage{amsmath}Frequently asked questions
What about "Extra alignment tab has been changed to \cr"?
A table row has too many & for its column specification. Count the columns in \begin{tabular}{...} and make each row use exactly one fewer & than the number of columns.
I need a literal & inside a table cell.
Write \& inside the cell; a bare & would start a new column. The escape is the same in tables and in normal text.
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