The letter Z carries an accent in six precomposed Unicode forms: ź ż ž in lowercase and Ź Ż Ž in uppercase. The fastest way to get any of them is to copy the exact glyph you need from the buttons below, but you can also type each one directly with an Alt code, a Word hex shortcut, or a keyboard layout once you know the value. This guide lists every verified code and walks through each app and device one time.
Reference table for every accented Z
Each row below shows one precomposed character with its official Unicode name, code point, genuine Windows Alt code where one exists, and the HTML numeric entity. Only two of these six letters have a standard Windows Alt code; the rest rely on the Word Alt+X method described later.
| Glyph | Unicode name | Code point | Windows Alt code | Word Alt+X | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ź | U+017A | U+017A | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 017A then Alt+X | type 017A, then Alt+X | ź |
| ż | U+017C | U+017C | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 017C then Alt+X | type 017C, then Alt+X | ż |
| ž | U+017E | U+017E | Alt+0158 | type 017E, then Alt+X | ž |
| Ź | U+0179 | U+0179 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0179 then Alt+X | type 0179, then Alt+X | Ź |
| Ż | U+017B | U+017B | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 017B then Alt+X | type 017B, then Alt+X | Ż |
| Ž | U+017D | U+017D | Alt+0142 | type 017D, then Alt+X | Ž |
The three accent marks on Z, and how case works
This set contains three distinct diacritics sitting on the same base letter. The acute is a single stroke leaning to the right (ź, Ź), the dot above is a single point centered over the letter (ż, Ż), and the caron is a small downward wedge that looks like a tiny “v” (ž, Ž).
Each mark is a separate character with its own Unicode code point, so the acute Z and the caron Z are not interchangeable even though both are “an accented Z.” Choosing the wrong diacritic changes the character entirely, not just its appearance.
Uppercase and lowercase are also encoded separately. Ź (U+0179) and ź (U+017A) are a matched capital-and-small pair, as are Ż/ż and Ž/ž. That is why case-changing a word keeps the accent intact: the software swaps to the paired code point rather than stripping the mark.
Type accented Z on Windows
For the two letters that have a real Alt code, hold Alt and type the digits on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on: Alt+0158 gives ž and Alt+0142 gives Ž. These codes will not work with the number row across the top of the keyboard.
The acute and dot-above forms (ź ż Ź Ż) have no standard Windows Alt code, so use Character Map instead. Open it from the Start menu, search or scroll to the character, click Select, then Copy, and paste it where you need it. On a laptop with no numeric keypad, Character Map is the reliable route for all six.
Type accented Z on Mac
macOS has no dead-key shortcut for these specific letters, so the built-in Character Viewer is the cleanest method. Press Control+Command+Space, type “z with caron” or paste the code point into the search box, then double-click the glyph to insert it.
If you type Polish or Czech text often, add the matching layout under System Settings ▸ Keyboard ▸ Input Sources. A Polish layout produces ź and ż with the Option key plus a letter, which is faster than the viewer for repeated use.
Type accented Z in Microsoft Word
Word supports every character in this set through the Alt+X hex method, which needs no numeric keypad. Type the four-character code point, then press Alt+X and Word converts it in place: type 017E then Alt+X for ž, or 0179 then Alt+X for Ź.
If Alt+X converts the wrong characters, select just the four hex digits first so Word knows the exact span to replace. You can also open Insert ▸ Symbol ▸ More Symbols, set the subset to Latin Extended-A, and pick the glyph visually.
Type accented Z in Excel and PowerPoint
Excel and PowerPoint do not support the Alt+X hex shortcut, so use the Windows Alt codes where they exist: Alt+0158 for ž and Alt+0142 for Ž on the numeric keypad. For the four letters without an Alt code, insert them through Insert ▸ Symbol and choose the Latin Extended-A subset.
A quick alternative in either app is to type or generate the character once in Word or the copy buttons above, then paste it into your cell or slide. Once it is in the file, Excel and PowerPoint keep it correctly.
Type accented Z in Google Docs and Sheets
In Google Docs, open Insert ▸ Special characters, then search by name such as “acute” or “caron,” or draw the mark in the sketch box to narrow results. Click the glyph to drop it into the document at your cursor.
Google Sheets has no special-character menu, so the simplest path is to insert the letter in Docs or copy it from the buttons above and paste it into the cell. You can also keep a small reference cell of accented letters and copy from it as needed.
Type accented Z on iPhone and Android
On both mobile systems, press and hold the Z key on the on-screen keyboard. A small popup of accented variants appears, and you slide your finger to the one you want before releasing.
The exact options depend on the keyboard language you have installed, so if ż or ž is missing, add a Polish, Czech, or other relevant language keyboard in your keyboard settings. When a variant still will not show, paste it from the copy buttons at the top of this page.
Type accented Z on a Chromebook
ChromeOS uses Unicode entry: hold Ctrl+Shift, press U, then type the hex code point such as 017e for ž and release. The underlined “u” prompt confirms you are in Unicode mode before you type the digits.
This works for all six letters: 017a for ź, 017c for ż, 0179 for Ź, 017b for Ż, and 017d for Ž. If nothing appears, enable Unicode input under the ChromeOS keyboard settings first.
Type accented Z in Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
None of these apps have a dedicated accent inserter, so the copy-and-paste route is the most dependable across all four. Click a button at the top of this page, then paste into your Notion page, Slack message, Discord chat, or Canva text box.
Because these are ordinary Unicode letters, they survive pasting and display anywhere the font includes them. In Canva, if a decorative font shows a blank box, switch to a broad font such as Arial or Noto so the glyph renders.
Precomposed characters versus combining marks
Every letter in this guide is precomposed: the base Z and its accent are stored as a single Unicode code point, such as U+017E for ž. There is also a second way to build the same-looking letter — a plain “z” followed by a separate combining accent mark, which is two code points that stack visually into one glyph.
On screen the two versions can look identical, but software treats them as different sequences. That difference matters for search, sorting, filenames, form validation, and copy/paste, where a “z + combining caron” string may not match a precomposed “ž” even though your eyes see the same character.
The fix is normalization, which converts text to a consistent form. Normalizing to NFC composes the pieces into the single precomposed code point, so pasting from the buttons above — which already use precomposed characters — keeps your data predictable.
Troubleshooting
A box or blank shows instead of the letter. The current font lacks that glyph. Switch to a font with wide Latin coverage such as Arial, Calibri, or Noto Sans, and the accented Z will appear.
You got the wrong accent. Acute, dot above, and caron are separate characters, so double-check the code point: 017A/0179 is acute, 017C/017B is dot above, and 017E/017D is caron. Re-copy the exact button rather than guessing.
The Alt code does nothing. Only ž (Alt+0158) and Ž (Alt+0142) have genuine Windows Alt codes, and both require the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. The other four have no Alt code at all, so use Character Map, Word’s Alt+X, or copy/paste.
Alt+X did not convert. That shortcut only works in Microsoft Word, not Excel, PowerPoint, or a browser. Make sure only the four hex digits sit before your cursor when you press Alt+X.
Your keyboard layout inserts something else. Some layouts remap keys used by shortcuts. If entry behaves oddly, switch back to your standard layout, or add the specific language layout that produces these letters natively.
Search or a filename won’t match. This is usually the combining-versus-precomposed problem above. Normalize both the query and the stored text to NFC, or replace the letter by pasting the precomposed glyph from this page.
Quick examples
To type the caron pair in Word, type 017D then Alt+X for Ž and 017E then Alt+X for ž. To enter the same pair on a Chromebook, use Ctrl+Shift+U followed by 017d and 017e.
For the acute and dot-above letters that lack Alt codes, ź, ż, Ź, Ż, the fastest cross-app method is simply clicking those buttons at the top and pasting. On mobile, press and hold Z and pick the variant from the popup.
Related guides and resources
If you work with diacritics beyond this letter, the complete guide to typing accented letters gathers every method in one place, and you can browse more accented-letter guides by letter. To insert marks without memorizing codes, the on-screen accent keyboard lets you click and copy any character.
Readers often compare Z with the neighboring letters. See how to handle Y with an accent mark, X with accents on Windows, Mac, and mobile, every way to type W with an accent, V with an accent mark, and U with accents across devices.
Frequently asked questions
Which accented Z letters have a Windows Alt code?
Only two do: ž uses Alt+0158 and Ž uses Alt+0142, both typed on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. The acute and dot-above forms (ź, ż, Ź, Ż) have no standard Windows Alt code, so use Character Map, Word’s Alt+X, or copy/paste instead.
What is the difference between ź, ż, and ž?
They carry three different accents on the same base letter: ź has an acute stroke, ż has a single dot above, and ž has a caron wedge. Each is a separate Unicode character (U+017A, U+017C, and U+017E), so they are not interchangeable.
How do I type these on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
Windows Alt codes need a numeric keypad, so on a keypad-free laptop use another route. In Word, type the hex code then press Alt+X; elsewhere on Windows, use Character Map; or just copy the glyph from the buttons on this page.
Why does my accented Z turn into a blank box?
The character is correct, but the current font has no glyph for it. Change to a font with broad Latin coverage such as Arial, Calibri, or Noto Sans, and the letter will display properly.
Why won’t my search find a word with an accented Z?
The text may use a base “z” plus a separate combining accent instead of the single precomposed letter, so the two strings do not match. Normalize both the search term and the stored text to NFC, or replace the letter by pasting the precomposed glyph.
How do I type accented Z on my phone?
Press and hold the Z key on the on-screen keyboard until a popup of variants appears, then slide to the one you want. If a variant is missing, add a language keyboard such as Polish or Czech, or paste the character from the copy buttons above.
Can I type these in Google Sheets, Slack, or Discord?
Yes, though none of these apps have a built-in accent inserter, so copy the glyph and paste it in. They are standard Unicode letters, so they display and send normally once pasted.