Is a the same as æ?
In Old English/Anglo Saxon, when the Latin alphabet was introduced to replace the original runes, the ᚫ (æsc or ash) was represented as æ. This was eventually dropped in favour of using a .
What is the letter a called?
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is a (pronounced /ˈeɪ/), plural aes. It is similar in shape to the Ancient Greek letter alpha, from which it derives.
What do you call this symbol *?
An asterisk is a star-shaped symbol (*) that has a few uses in writing. It is most commonly used to signal a footnote, but it is sometimes also used to clarify a statement or to censor inappropriate language.