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Polish Alphabet

What is polish alphabet?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Language Polish[2]
Script base Latin alphabet[2]
Standard letter count 32[2]
Diacritic letters count 9[2]
Diacritic letters ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż[2]

The Polish alphabet is the alphabet used to write Polish, based on the Latin alphabet and consisting of 32 letters in its standard form. It includes 9 letters with diacritics: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, and ż. Some sources count 35 letters when including q, v, and x, which appear only in loanwords.

Context

The Polish alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet and has 32 letters in its standard form, including 9 letters with diacritics: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, and ż [2]. Some sources count 35 letters when including q, v, and x, which are used only in loanwords [1]. Polish orthography also uses digraphs and a trigraph [1].

Documented claims

  • The Polish alphabet is the basis for Polish orthography. [2]
  • Polish uses some letters only in loanwords, not native words. [3]
  • Some sources describe an extended 35-letter alphabet when q, v, x are included. [1]
  • Polish orthography uses digraphs and a trigraph in addition to single letters. [1]

Related

Questions and answers

Is Polish written in Cyrillic?

No, Polish uses the Latin alphabet, not Cyrillic [2].

Why is Z so common in Polish?

Z is common because it appears in many digraphs and trigraphs used to represent specific Polish sounds [1].

Does Polish use the letter J?

Yes, Polish uses J, which is pronounced like the English 'y' [1].

Sources

  1. Polish Alphabet: Letters and Pronunciation Guide — lets-learn.eu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. The Polish Alphabet | Polish Grammar — elon.io (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Our Quick and Easy-to-Read Guide on the Polish Alphabet - LingQ — lingq.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Language