How to Type ł (L with stroke) on iPhone

Published May 24, 2026, 2 min read

Typing ł (l with stroke) on iPhone takes a few seconds once you know the trick. The short answer is Hold l. Read on for step-by-step instructions, the uppercase Ł and what to do when a method does not work.

ł on iPhone: Hold l

Ł on iPhone: Hold l

Or copy it:

Method 1: Long-press the letter

Open the keyboard in any app.
Touch and hold the l key.
Slide your finger to ł and lift it.

ł is on the long-press menu of the default English keyboard and Gboard shows a similar set.

Method 2: Add the Polish keyboard

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

Method 3: Text Replacement

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

How to type the capital Ł

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

Long-press the letter

Open the keyboard in any app.
Touch and hold the L key (with Shift on).
Slide your finger to Ł and lift it.

Ł is on the long-press menu of the default English keyboard and Gboard shows a similar set.

Add the Polish keyboard

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

About the letter ł

ł is Unicode U+0142, named LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH STROKE. It is used in Polish. A line through the letter itself. Examples are ø (Danish, Norwegian), ł (Polish), đ (Vietnamese, Croatian) and ħ (Maltese). See the ł 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 ł on iPhone?

Hold l.

Can I just copy and paste ł?

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 ł?

U+0142. In HTML it is ł.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for iPhone