I can only reproduce this by hovering the Windows icon with the mouse and having the finger on a character, in order to press it immediately after clicking. In that case most of the time the Start menu does not open at all, and sometimes it opens but does not have the letter.

When I use the Windows key to open the Start menu I cannot reproduce this, as eg. Win + E opens the Explorer instead of the Start menu.

It does not appear on my machine as if this could possibly happen when opening the Start menu during regular use. Can you reproduce this on your machine?

  > orrelates with missing the first letter off

Still, that shows an issue of using fuzzy search for Bing but not programs. There should be a precedent on local items. A typo is far more likely than a web search, especially when the web search is resulting in the intended application.

Did no one think of that feedback loop? That if the web search is suggesting an installed app that that installed app should be prioritized?