How to Type L with Accent (ł, ľ, ĺ, ļ, ŀ, ḷ, ḻ, Ł): Windows, Mac, Word & Mobile Shortcuts

Master L-Accent Keyboard Shortcut Matrix (All Variations)

The letter L with diacritical markings is central to Polish (ł), Slovak (ľ, ĺ), Latvian (ļ), Catalan (ŀl), Sanskrit IAST (ḷ), and Dravidian linguistics (ḻ). Below is your complete cross-platform reference table:

How to Type L with Accent on Windows (5 Methods)

Windows personal computers offer multiple hardware and software pathways to insert L with accent marks:

Method 1: Windows Alt Codes (Numeric Keypad)

Using the separate 10-key numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type the 4-digit code:

• ł (Stroke): Alt + 0322 | Ł (Capital): Alt + 0321
• ľ (Caron): Alt + 0318 | Ľ (Capital): Alt + 0317
• ĺ (Acute): Alt + 0316 | Ĺ (Capital): Alt + 0315
• ļ (Cedilla): Alt + 0314 | Ļ (Capital): Alt + 0313
• ŀ (Middle Dot): Alt + 0320 | Ŀ (Capital): Alt + 0319
• ḷ (Underdot): Alt + 7735 | Ḷ (Capital): Alt + 7734
• ḻ (Line Below): Alt + 7737 | Ḻ (Capital): Alt + 7736

Method 2: Microsoft Word Unicode Hex Converter (Alt + X)

In any modern version of Microsoft Word, WordPad, or LibreOffice Writer on Windows:

Method 3: Polish Programmers Keyboard Layout (AltGr + L)

If you frequently write in Polish or need fast access to ł, add the Polish (Programmers) layout in Windows Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region. Once activated:

• Press Right Alt (AltGr) + L → types ł immediately.
• Press Right Alt + Shift + L → types capital Ł.

Method 4: Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel (Win + .)

• Press Win + . (Windows Key + Period) or Win + ;.
• Click the Symbols (Ω) icon at the top → navigate to Latin Symbols → click ł or ľ.

How to Type L with Accent on Mac (macOS)

Apple macOS provides native press-and-hold menus and ABC Extended dead keys for L accents:

Method 1: ABC Extended Keyboard Input

If you enable the ABC - Extended layout in macOS System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources:

• Stroke (ł): Press Option + l, release, then press l → gives ł. (Capital Ł: Option + l, then Shift + L).
• Caron (ľ): Press Option + v, release, then press l → gives ľ. (Capital Ľ: Option + v, then Shift + L).
• Acute (ĺ): Press Option + e, release, then press l → gives ĺ. (Capital Ĺ: Option + e, then Shift + L).
• Cedilla (ļ): Press Option + c, release, then press l → gives ļ.
• Middle Dot (·): Press Option + Shift + 9 → types the middle dot · for Catalan l·l.

Method 2: Press-and-Hold Accent Menu (Built-in on macOS)

On a Mac keyboard, press and hold down the letter l (or Shift + l for capital). When the diacritics bubble appears, press the corresponding number or click ł.

Method 3: macOS Character Viewer (Ctrl + Cmd + Space)

• Press Ctrl + Cmd + Space to open Character Viewer.
• Search for l stroke or l caron, then double-click ł or ľ.

How to Type L with Accent in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint & Excel

Microsoft Word Shortcuts

• ł (Stroke): Type 0142 then press Alt + X. For capital Ł: type 0141 + Alt + X.
• ľ (Caron): Type 013E then press Alt + X. For capital Ľ: type 013D + Alt + X.
• ĺ (Acute): Type 013A then press Alt + X. For capital Ĺ: type 0139 + Alt + X.
• ļ (Cedilla): Type 013C then press Alt + X. For capital Ļ: type 013B + Alt + X.
• ŀ (Middle Dot): Type 0140 then press Alt + X.
• ḷ (Underdot): Type 1E37 then press Alt + X.

Microsoft Excel Formulas

In Excel spreadsheets and formulas, dynamically output L-accent characters using UNICHAR:

• =UNICHAR(322) outputs ł | =UNICHAR(321) outputs Ł
• =UNICHAR(318) outputs ľ | =UNICHAR(317) outputs Ľ
• =UNICHAR(314) outputs ĺ | =UNICHAR(313) outputs Ĺ
• =UNICHAR(316) outputs ļ | =UNICHAR(315) outputs Ļ
• =UNICHAR(320) outputs ŀ | =UNICHAR(319) outputs Ŀ
• =UNICHAR(7735) outputs ḷ | =UNICHAR(7734) outputs Ḷ
• =UNICHAR(7737) outputs ḻ | =UNICHAR(7736) outputs Ḻ

How to Type L with Accent on iPhone, iPad & Android

iOS (Apple iPhone and iPad)

• Press and hold down the letter l on the virtual touchscreen keyboard.
• A popup bubble displaying ł, ľ, ĺ, and ļ will appear. Slide your finger across and lift to insert.

Android (Google Gboard & Samsung Keyboard)

• On Gboard and Samsung keyboards, press and hold down the l key.
• Slide your thumb across the popup row to select ł, ľ, or ĺ.

Linguistic, Historical & Grammatical Significance of L-Accent Marks

The letter L takes specialized diacritical modifications in Slavic, Baltic, Romance, and indigenous language families to represent distinct phonetic lateral and non-lateral consonants:

Polish Orthography: The Stroke L (ł / Ł) & Wałczenie

In the Polish alphabet (and also in Sorbian and Kashubian):

• The Sound Change Wałczenie: Historically, Old Polish ł represented a "dark" velarized lateral approximant [ɫ] (similar to the 'l' in English ball or Russian л). Over centuries, this sound underwent labialization (wałczenie), transforming into the voiced labial-velar approximant /w/ (identical to English 'w' in water).
• Phonemic Contrast with Clear L: Contrasts sharply with Polish unaccented l, which is a "clear" alveolar lateral approximant /l/ (often palatalized [lʲ] before 'i'). For example: lód (/lut/ "ice") vs łódź (/wut͡ɕ/ "boat").
• Essential Polish Words: Found in Łódź (major Polish city), złoty (Polish currency), Wisła (Vistula River), człowiek ("human"), miłość ("love"), mały ("small"), był ("was"), and Warszawa.
• Native American Navajo: In the Diné Bizaad (Navajo) alphabet, ł represents the voiceless alveolar lateral fricative /ɬ/ (similar to Welsh 'll' in Llanelli).

Slovak Orthography: Palatal L (ľ / Ľ) & Long Syllabic L (ĺ / Ĺ)

Slovak is one of the few languages that distinguishes two separate diacritically modified forms of L:

• Slovak L with Caron (ľ / Ľ): Represents the palatal lateral approximant /ʎ/ (like Italian 'gli' in famiglia or Spanish 'll' in calle). In lowercase typography, the caron takes an apostrophe-like comma shape (ľ) rather than a wedge to avoid colliding with the tall vertical ascender of the letter. Common words: veľa ("many / much"), ľudia ("people"), nedeľa ("Sunday"), and Košice regional dialects.
• Slovak L with Acute (ĺ / Ĺ): In Slavic phonology, liquids (r, l) can act as syllable nuclei (syllabic consonants). Slovak marks length on syllabic 'l' using the acute accent (ĺ [l̩ː]), contrasting with short syllabic 'l' [l̩]. Found in words like stĺp ("pillar / column"), hĺbka ("depth"), kĺb ("joint"), and dĺžka ("length").

Latvian Orthography: Palatal Lateral (ļ / Ļ)

In Latvian (a Baltic language):

• Phonetic Value: The letter ļ represents the palatal lateral approximant /ʎ/.
• Comma Below vs Cedilla: Standard typography renders the diacritic as a small attached comma below the letter stem.
• Essential Latvian Words: Found in ļoti ("very"), ceļš ("way / road"), vaļā ("open"), bērniņš, and zaļš ("green").

Catalan Orthography: Ela Geminada (ŀl / ĿL)

In Catalan (spoken in Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands):

• Geminate Lateral Consonant: The special combination l·l (or precomposed ŀl / ĿL, termed ela geminada) represents a geminate (doubled or prolonged) lateral approximant [lː].
• Disambiguation from Palatal LL: In Catalan, standard ll represents the palatal lateral /ʎ/ (e.g. lluna "moon", castell "castle"). Inserting the middle dot (punt volat) signals that each 'l' belongs to a separate syllable, pronounced distinctly as a doubled lateral: il·lusió ("illusion"), col·legi ("college"), paral·lel ("parallel"), intel·ligent ("intelligent"), and novel·la ("novel").

Sanskrit & Dravidian Linguistics (ḷ / Ḷ & ḻ / Ḻ)

In Indological romanization and South Asian linguistics:

• Sanskrit IAST (ḷ / Ḷ): Transliterates the vocalic liquid ऌ (syllabic vowel) and the Vedic retroflex lateral flap ळ (/ɭ/), as found in Ṛgveda hymns (e.g., agnim īḷe purohitam).
• Dravidian Tamil & Malayalam (ḻ / Ḻ): In Tamil transliteration (ISO 15919), ḻ transliterates the unique voiced retroflex approximant ழ் (/ɻ/), famously occurring in the native name of the Tamil language: Tamiḻ (தமிழ்).

Developer & Technical Reference (Unicode, HTML, CSS & LaTeX)

For software developers, web designers, database architects, and LaTeX typesetters, below is the complete technical character specification for all L-accent variations:

Frequently Asked Questions About Typing L with Accents

A to Z Accent Letters Hub & Related Diacritics Guides

Need to type other accented letters, umlauts, tildes, cedillas, or special characters? Explore our dedicated accent directories and interactive typing tools below: