How to Type Polish Accents on Any Keyboard
Polish adds nine letters with diacritics: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź and ż. Here is how to type each of them on a computer or phone, whether you write Polish every day or only need the odd name.
Polish letters: ą ć ę ł ń ó ś ź ż
Shortcut chart
| Letter | Windows | Mac | Word | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ą | Win+. symbols | Option+0105 (Hex Input) | 0105 Alt+X | add Polish keyboard |
| ć | Win+. symbols | Option+0107 (Hex Input) | 0107 Alt+X | hold c |
| ę | Win+. symbols | Option+0119 (Hex Input) | 0119 Alt+X | hold e |
| ł | Win+. symbols | Option+0142 (Hex Input) | 0142 Alt+X | hold l |
| ń | Win+. symbols | Option+0144 (Hex Input) | 0144 Alt+X | hold n |
| ó | Alt+0243 | Option+E, then O | Ctrl+', then O | hold o |
| ś | Win+. symbols | Option+015B (Hex Input) | 015B Alt+X | hold s |
| ź | Win+. symbols | Option+017A (Hex Input) | 017A Alt+X | hold z |
| ż | Win+. symbols | Option+017C (Hex Input) | 017C Alt+X | hold z |
Option 1: add the Polish keyboard
If you write Polish often, add its keyboard layout. On Windows, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, add Polish or add its keyboard under your current language, and switch with Win+Space. On a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit and add the Polish layout. On iPhone and Android, add the Polish keyboard in keyboard settings and switch with the globe key.
A native layout moves some punctuation keys, so print or note where they sit before you switch.
Option 2: use shortcuts on your current keyboard
Keep your usual layout and use the codes in the chart. On Windows the US-International layout covers many Western European accents with dead keys. On a Mac, Option+E, Option+`, Option+I, Option+U and Option+N cover the acute, grave, circumflex, umlaut and tilde, and Unicode Hex Input covers everything else.
Option 3: copy and paste
For occasional use, copy letters from the Polish letters page. Click a letter to copy it, or click several to build a word in the text box first.