How to Type ľ (L with caron) on iPhone

Published May 26, 2026, 2 min read

Need ľ on iPhone for a name, an address or a word in another language? You do not have to copy it from a website every time. The fastest method is Add Slovak keyboard, and there are a few backups below for when that one is not available.

ľ on iPhone: Add Slovak keyboard

Ľ on iPhone: Add Slovak keyboard

Or copy it:

Method 1: Long-press the letter

ľ is not on the long-press menu of the plain English keyboard. Add the Slovak keyboard, then touch and hold l or use the key it adds.

Method 2: Add the Slovak keyboard

Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
Tap Add New Keyboard and choose Slovak.
Tap the globe key to switch while typing.

Method 3: Text Replacement

Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, tap +, paste ľ as the phrase and type a shortcut such as lca. The shortcut syncs to your Mac through iCloud.

How to type the capital Ľ

The uppercase form works the same way with Shift added where a letter is typed.

Long-press the letter

Ľ is not on the long-press menu of the plain English keyboard. Add the Slovak keyboard, then touch and hold l or use the key it adds.

Add the Slovak keyboard

Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
Tap Add New Keyboard and choose Slovak.
Tap the globe key to switch while typing.

About the letter ľ

ľ is Unicode U+013E, named LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH CARON. It is used in Slovak. A small v above a letter, called háček in Czech and kvačica in Croatian. It softens consonants (č, š, ž, ř) and marks the third tone in Pinyin (ǎ, ǐ). See the ľ character page for every code and shortcut.

Troubleshooting

If no menu appears when you touch and hold, make sure you are not using a third-party keyboard that disables it.
Text Replacement shortcuts need a space or punctuation after them to expand.
Some apps with custom keyboards, such as games, do not support accents.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for ľ on iPhone?

Add Slovak keyboard.

Can I just copy and paste ľ?

Yes. Click the copy button above, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Chromebook, Cmd+V on a Mac, or touch and hold and choose Paste on a phone.

What is the Unicode code for ľ?

U+013E. In HTML it is ľ.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for iPhone