LaTeX error · Environments, lists and tables

Extra alignment tab has been changed to \cr.

Q: How many & can a table row have?

One fewer than the number of columns. A {lcr} table has three columns, so each row has at most two &. Fewer is fine: missing cells are left empty.

Q: Does \multicolumn count as one column?

No. \multicolumn{3}{c}{...} takes the place of three columns, so the row needs two fewer & than a normal row. Miscounting spans is a common cause of this error.

Quick answer

The column specification of a tabular, such as {ll}, fixes the number of columns. A row with n columns may contain at most n−1 &. LaTeX found one & too many, so it ended the row there (\cr) and pushed the rest into a new row. Add the missing column to the specification ({lll}), or remove the extra & or add the forgotten \\ at the end of the previous row.

The error in the log

This is how the message appears in the .log file (and in the compile output). The line starting with l. is the line number where TeX noticed the problem; the real mistake is there or just before it.

! Extra alignment tab has been changed to \cr.
<recently read> \endtemplate 
                             
l.4   Name & Age &
                   City \\

Why it happens

The column specification has fewer columns than the rows, typically after adding a column to the data and not to \begin{tabular}{...}.
A missing \\ at the end of a row, so two rows run together into one with too many cells.
A literal & in cell text that should have been \&.
In amsmath environments: more than one & per row in cases, or too many & for the number of columns of a matrix (default 10) or alignat.

How to fix it

Count the & on the row named on the l. line and compare with the number of column letters in the specification. Add a column letter, or remove the extra separator.

If the counts match, look at the row above for a missing \\, and at the cell text for an unescaped &.

Broken: reproduces the error

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{ll}
  Name & Age & City \\
  Ada  & 36  & London \\
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

Try this in Octree — free LaTeX editor with AI, compiles in your browser

Fixed: compiles cleanly

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{lll}
  Name & Age & City \\
  Ada  & 36  & London \\
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

Related errors

Misplaced alignment tab character & – A literal & in normal text; write \&.
You can't use \hrule here – A TeX \hrule inside a table cell, box or math; use \hline or \rule.
Overfull \hbox – A line could not be broken and sticks out into the right margin.
All LaTeX errors and warnings – The full list, grouped by cause

Frequently Asked Questions

How many & can a table row have?

One fewer than the number of columns. A {lcr} table has three columns, so each row has at most two &. Fewer is fine: missing cells are left empty.

Why does a matrix with many columns give this error?

amsmath matrices allow 10 columns by default. For more, set \setcounter{MaxMatrixCols}{20} in the preamble.

Does \multicolumn count as one column?

No. \multicolumn{3}{c}{...} takes the place of three columns, so the row needs two fewer & than a normal row. Miscounting spans is a common cause of this error.

Paste your document into Octree — compile errors get a Fix with AI button

When a compile fails, Octree shows the error next to the line that caused it and offers a one-click fix that you can review before applying. Free, nothing to install.

Fix it in Octree →