How to Type ļ (L with cedilla) on Excel

Published May 27, 2026, 2 min read

ļ is l with cedilla, a letter used in Latvian. On Excel, the quickest way to get it is =UNICHAR(316). This guide covers every method that works, including the capital Ļ and fixes for common problems.

ļ on Excel: =UNICHAR(316)

Ļ on Excel: =UNICHAR(315)

Or copy it:

Method 1: UNICHAR formula

Type =UNICHAR(316) in a cell to get ļ. To check a letter, =UNICODE("ļ") returns 316. Both work in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

Method 2: Keyboard methods inside a cell

Double-click the cell, then use Insert → Symbol (Unicode hex 013C) on Windows or Unicode Hex Input (Option + 013C) on a Mac.

Method 3: Find and replace accented text

Use =SUBSTITUTE(A1,"ļ","l") to strip this accent from a column, for example when cleaning names for an email system that does not accept accents.

How to type the capital Ļ

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

UNICHAR formula

Type =UNICHAR(315) in a cell to get Ļ. To check a letter, =UNICODE("Ļ") returns 315. Both work in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

Keyboard methods inside a cell

Double-click the cell, then use Insert → Symbol (Unicode hex 013B) on Windows or Unicode Hex Input (Option + 013B) on a Mac.

About the letter ļ

ļ is Unicode U+013C, named LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH CEDILLA. It is used in Latvian. A small hook under a letter. ç gives a soft s sound in French, Portuguese, Catalan, Turkish and Albanian; Turkish also uses ş, and Latvian uses ģ, ķ, ļ, ņ. See the ļ character page for every code and shortcut.

Troubleshooting

UNICHAR is not available in Excel 2010 and earlier.
CSV files saved as plain "CSV" may lose accents. Save as "CSV UTF-8".
If accents show as question marks after import, set the file origin to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8) in the import wizard.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for ļ on Excel?

=UNICHAR(316).

Can I just copy and paste ļ?

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 ļ?

U+013C. In HTML it is ļ.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for Excel