Keyboard shortcuts
| Letter | Windows (Alt code) | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| ą Ą | — | Option + A (Polish – Pro) |
| ć Ć | — | Option + C (Polish – Pro) |
| ę Ę | — | Option + E (Polish – Pro) |
| ł Ł | — | Option + L (Polish – Pro) |
| ń Ń | — | Option + N (Polish – Pro) |
| ó Ó | Alt + 0243 / 0211 | Option + O (Polish – Pro) |
| ś Ś | — | Option + S (Polish – Pro) |
| ź Ź | — | Option + X (Polish – Pro) |
| ż Ż | — | Option + Z (Polish – Pro) |
Mac: On a Mac, add the “Polish – Pro” input source (System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources). Then hold Option and press the base letter: Option + A gives ą, Option + L gives ł. The two exceptions are ź (Option + X) and ż (Option + Z). Add Shift for capitals.
Windows: Only ó has a Windows Alt code (Alt + 0243). For the other letters, add the “Polish (Programmers)” keyboard in Settings > Time & language > Language & region. It keeps the normal English layout and adds Polish letters on the right Alt key: Right Alt + A gives ą, Right Alt + X gives ź and Right Alt + Z gives ż. This is the layout almost everyone in Poland uses.
iPhone and Android: On iPhone and Android, add the Polish keyboard, then press and hold a, c, e, l, n, o, s or z to get the Polish letter. Hold z to choose between ż and ź.
How the Polish letters sound
Polish adds nine letters to the Latin alphabet. Each one stands for a different sound, so leaving them out changes the pronunciation, and sometimes the word.
- ą and ę are nasal vowels, roughly “on” and “en” said through the nose: są (they are), ręka (hand), proszę (please).
- ł sounds like the English w: mały (small), łatwo (easy), dziękuję (thank you).
- ó sounds exactly like u. The spelling comes from history, so learn it word by word: góra (mountain), ósmy (eighth), mój (my).
- ś, ć, ź and ń are soft versions of s, ch, z and n: cześć (hi), źle (badly), koń (horse).
- ż sounds like the “s” in “pleasure”: żaba (frog), może (maybe).
ś or si? ż or rz? The spelling rules
The acute-accent letters ś, ć, ź and ń are only written before a consonant or at the end of a word. Before a vowel, Polish writes si, ci, zi and ni instead, with the same soft sound: ciocia (aunt), siema (hey), nie (no).
ż and rz are pronounced the same, as are ó and u, and h and ch. Which one a word uses is fixed by spelling, not sound: rzeka (river) but żaba (frog), góra but kura (hen).
ź and ż are different sounds: ź is softer, with the tongue raised further.
Do missing Polish letters change the meaning?
Often. Poles reading text without diacritics can usually guess from context, but some words turn into different ones:
- kąt (corner) / kat (executioner)
- łaska (grace, favor) / laska (cane, or slang for a girl)
- sąd (court) / sad (orchard)
- Writing without Polish letters is common in quick texts, but it looks careless in emails and anything formal.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type Polish letters on Windows?
Add the Polish (Programmers) keyboard in Settings > Time & language > Language & region. Then press Right Alt with the base letter: Right Alt+A for ą, Right Alt+L for ł, Right Alt+X for ź and Right Alt+Z for ż. Only ó has an Alt code (Alt+0243). You can also click the letters on this page and copy them.
How do I type Polish letters on a Mac?
Add the Polish – Pro input source in System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources. Then press Option with the base letter: Option+A for ą, Option+L for ł, Option+X for ź and Option+Z for ż.
What is the difference between ż and ź?
They are two different sounds. ż is like the “s” in “pleasure” (żaba, może), and ź is softer, with the tongue raised toward the palate (źle, źródło). On a Polish Programmers keyboard, ż is Alt+Z and ź is Alt+X.
Is ó pronounced differently from u?
No. ó and u sound exactly the same in modern Polish. The difference is only in spelling, so góra and kura rhyme.