Polish typing practice
Learn to touch type in Polish, free in your browser: lessons built from real Polish words, passages from Lalka and five more Polish classics, and the AltGr keys for every Polish letter.
What you can practise
Smart Lessons in Polish
Real Polish words, built around your slowest key. You start on six keys, and Polish's own letters join as the others come up to speed.
The Polish alphabet
Every letter in order against the clock, with how to type each Polish letter on your keyboard.
Typing games in Polish
Pilot and Spaceship: steer through the gaps or shoot down enemy ships by typing Polish words.
6 Polish books
Classic Polish books, out of copyright, typed a passage at a time.
Polish letters
Polish adds nine letters to a to z: ą and ę with the ogonek, ć, ń, ó, ś and ź with the kreska, ż with a dot, and ł, the l with a stroke. They are everywhere, in "się", "być", "już" and "łódź", and the pangram "Zażółć gęślą jaźń" has all nine.
Poland types on Polish (Programmers), the US QWERTY layout with right Alt, AltGr, adding the mark: AltGr A for ą, AltGr L for ł, AltGr Z for ż, and AltGr X for ź, since Z is taken. Its letters are where any US or UK keyboard prints them, so add it and you need no stickers. Without it, US-International on Windows types only ó, while ABC – Extended on a Mac has dead keys for all nine.
On a Polish keyboard
Windows: Polish (Programmers) · macOS: Polish Pro · Linux: Polish
Add it in Windows under Settings > Time & language > Language & region, in macOS under System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, in Linux under Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources.
| Letter | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| ą | AltGr A | Option A | AltGr A |
| ć | AltGr C | Option C | AltGr C |
| ę | AltGr E | Option E | AltGr E |
| ł | AltGr L | Option L | AltGr L |
| ń | AltGr N | Option N | AltGr N |
| ó | AltGr O | Option O | AltGr O |
| ś | AltGr S | Option S | AltGr S |
| ź | AltGr X | Option X | AltGr X |
| ż | AltGr Z | Option Z | AltGr Z |
On a US or UK keyboard
Windows: United States-International · macOS: ABC – Extended · Linux: English (US, intl., with dead keys)
Add it the same way. On US-International ' and " become dead keys: type a space after one for the mark itself.
| Letter | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| ą | Not on this layout | Option Mthen A | Shift AltGr 8then A |
| ć | Not on this layout | Option Ethen C | 'then C |
| ę | Not on this layout | Option Mthen E | Shift AltGr 8then E |
| ł | Not on this layout | Option Lthen L | Shift AltGr Xthen L |
| ń | Not on this layout | Option Ethen N | 'then N |
| ó | 'then O | Option Ethen O | 'then O |
| ś | Not on this layout | Option Ethen S | 'then S |
| ź | Not on this layout | Option Ethen Z | 'then Z |
| ż | Not on this layout | Option Wthen Z | AltGr .then Z |
Tips for typing Polish
AltGr is the right Alt
Polish letters come from the Alt key to the right of the space bar, not the left one. Hold it with the right thumb, which already rests nearby, and type the base letter with its usual finger.
Ź lives on X
AltGr Z is ż, the more common of the two, so ź moved next door to AltGr X. "źle" and "źródło" are good words for drilling the difference.
Right-hand letters with the thumb down
For ł, ń and ó the right thumb holds AltGr while the same hand types the letter: the index finger takes N and the ring finger L and O. Keep the other fingers on the home row so the hand does not drift.
Capitals take three keys
Ł, Ś or Ż at the start of a name is Shift with a little finger, AltGr with the right thumb, then the letter. Practise "Łódź" and "Śląsk" until the three land together.