The Polish zloty symbol is written zł: a lowercase z followed by ł, the Latin letter L with a stroke through it. There is no single Unicode currency sign for the zloty the way € exists for the euro, so the only special character you actually need is ł (U+0142). Copy it below.
The z in front is a normal keyboard letter, so type a z, paste the ł after it, and you have zł. You can also grab the character from our copy-and-paste symbol tool alongside other currency glyphs.
What the zł symbol is
ł is officially LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH STROKE, code point U+0142. It is a letter in the Polish alphabet, not a purpose-built money sign, and the zloty borrows it because “zł” is the everyday short form of złoty, Polish for “golden.” That is why the Unicode name describes a letter rather than a currency: the zloty has no code point of its own.
In banking, exchange rates and international invoices you will more often see the ISO 4217 code, PLN. The zloty is one of several currencies with no designed glyph; the complete list of world currency symbols shows how the others are typed.
Polish zloty symbol codes
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Symbol | ł |
| Currency written as | zł |
| ISO 4217 code | PLN |
| Unicode name | LATIN SMALL LETTER L WITH STROKE |
| Unicode code point | U+0142 |
| Unicode number (hex) | 0142 |
| Unicode number (decimal) | 322 |
| Windows Alt code (decimal, Unicode-aware apps only) | 0142 then Alt+X in Word |
| Word / Outlook / OneNote (hex) | type 0142, then press Alt+X |
| Chromebook / Linux (hex) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 0142 |
| HTML entity (decimal) | ł |
| HTML entity (hex) | ł |
| CSS escape (hex) | \0142 |
| Excel / Google Sheets | =UNICHAR(322) |
Two notes on those codes. There is no leading-zero Alt code (the Alt+0nnn form) for ł, because the character sits outside the Western Windows-1252 set that those codes address. 0142 then Alt+X in Word without a leading zero does produce ł, but only in Unicode-aware programs and only from a physical numeric keypad, so copy-paste and Word’s Alt+X are the dependable choices.
How to type the zloty symbol (zł)
Windows
In Unicode-aware apps such as WordPad or LibreOffice, hold Alt and type 322 on the numeric keypad, then release. A laptop without a real numpad cannot do this. Everywhere else, open Character Map (search “charmap” in the Start menu), find ł, click Select then Copy, and paste it in.
Mac
There is no Option shortcut for ł on the standard US layout. Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space to open the Character Viewer, search “stroke” or “l with stroke,” and double-click ł. If you type Polish regularly, add the Polish keyboard under System Settings → Keyboard, after which Option+l types ł directly.
Word, Outlook and OneNote
Type 0142 and immediately press Alt+X; the four characters flip to ł. You can also use Insert → Symbol → More Symbols and look in the Latin Extended-A range. This Alt+X trick works in Word, Outlook and OneNote, but not in Excel or PowerPoint.
Excel
Alt+X does nothing in Excel. Put =UNICHAR(322) in a cell to return ł, or build the whole mark with ="z"&UNICHAR(322), which gives zł. Insert → Symbol works too if you prefer clicking.
PowerPoint
PowerPoint has no UNICHAR function and no Alt+X. Use Insert → Symbol, find ł in the Latin Extended-A block, or simply paste the character into your text box.
Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, type “l with stroke” in the search box (or draw the shape in the sketch pad), and click ł to drop it in.
Google Sheets
Sheets has no Special characters menu. Use =UNICHAR(322) for ł, or ="z"&UNICHAR(322) for zł, or paste the character. If you paste, press F2 first to put the cell into edit mode.
iPhone and Android
The default English keyboard has no ł key. For a one-off, paste the character you copied above. For regular typing, add a Polish keyboard in settings; ł then sits on a long-press of the L key on most keyboard apps.
Chromebook
ChromeOS has no Alt codes, and a USB numpad will not change that. Press Ctrl+Shift+U, release, type 0142, then press Enter or Space; an underlined u appears while you type, and you enter the hex only with no U+ prefix. The symbol picker at Launcher+Shift+Space is an alternative, and if a web field swallows the shortcut, paste instead.
Notion, Slack, Discord and Canva
None of these has a built-in ł shortcut, so paste the character. To stop re-pasting, set a text replacement in your operating system or phone keyboard (map a trigger of your choice to zł); it then expands inside all of them. In Canva, paste into a text box and keep to a font that includes ł, which most do.
Where the zł symbol is used
You will see zł on price tags, receipts and invoices in Poland, on e-commerce listings, and in spreadsheets tracking Polish prices or travel budgets. The mark goes after the amount with a space, and Polish uses a comma for the decimal: 19,99 zł, 250 zł.
In international finance, bank statements and currency tables the ISO code PLN takes over, usually before the figure, as in PLN 250. Either form is correct; the choice depends on whether you are writing for a Polish or an international reader.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there a single Unicode symbol for the Polish zloty?
No. Unlike the euro (€) or pound (£), the zloty has no dedicated currency character in Unicode. It is written as zł, and the only special letter is ł (U+0142). In banking and international invoices you will see the ISO 4217 code PLN instead.
Why does zł show up as “zl” or an empty box?
The font in use lacks the ł glyph, so the app either drops the stroke or shows a fallback box. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman and the standard system fonts all include ł, so switching font fixes it. A box means the font is missing U+0142, not that you typed anything wrong.
Do I write zł before or after the amount?
After the number, with a space: 49 zł or 19,99 zł, using a comma for the decimal as Polish does. In international or financial writing the ISO code PLN is common and usually goes before the figure, as in PLN 49.
Does 0142 then Alt+X in Word work in every program?
No. 0142 then Alt+X in Word on the numeric keypad only makes ł in Unicode-aware apps such as WordPad or LibreOffice, and it needs a physical numpad. In Notepad, many browsers and other apps it does nothing, so use Word’s Alt+X (type 0142, press Alt+X), Character Map, or copy the character from the top of this page.