A-Z in Polish: Discover the Sounds of Poland’s Unique Alphabet

Learning the alphabet is one of the most exciting first steps in picking up a new language. The Polish alphabet is both familiar and unique. It shares many letters with English, but it also includes special characters that make Polish sound beautifully distinct. It is a colorful mix of letters you already know and exciting new sounds, which makes it a perfect place to start, especially for young learners who pick up language best through play, rhythm, and repetition.

Why Learn the Alphabet Early?

Starting with the alphabet gives kids a strong head start. It builds the skills and confidence they will lean on as they grow into reading and speaking Polish. The alphabet gives kids:

• A foundation for reading and pronunciation
• Tools to build more words and confidence
• A fun challenge that sparks curiosity

What Does the Polish Alphabet Look Like?

The Polish alphabet uses Latin letters, just like English, but with a few important differences. In total it has 32 letters, including several special characters you will not see in English.

Lowercase Letters:
a, ą, b, c, ć, d, e, ę, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, ł, m, n, ń, o, ó, p, r, s, ś, t, u, w, y, z, ź, ż

Uppercase Letters:
A, Ą, B, C, Ć, D, E, Ę, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, Ł, M, N, Ń, O, Ó, P, R, S, Ś, T, U, W, Y, Z, Ź, Ż

What Makes the Polish Alphabet Special?

Polish has 9 letters that don’t exist in the English alphabet. These letters may look similar to English ones, but they have accents or marks that change how they sound. Here are the 9 unique Polish letters, in both uppercase and lowercase:

Ą ą, Ć ć, Ę ę, Ł ł, Ń ń, Ś ś, Ó ó, Ź ź, Ż ż

They help create the rich and expressive sounds of the Polish language. Here is a quick guide to how some of these special letters sound:

• Ą ą – sounds like “on” in French bon
• Ć ć – soft “ch”
• Ł ł – sounds like English “w”
• Ń ń – like “ny” in “canyon”
• Ś ś, Ź ź, Ż ż – soft, buzzy sounds

Letters You Won’t Find in the Polish Alphabet

Interestingly, the letters Q, V, and X are not officially part of the Polish alphabet. However, they do appear sometimes in foreign names or borrowed words.

Fun Fact: Polish Is a Slavic Language!

Polish is the official language of Poland, but it’s also spoken by millions of Polish people living in other countries. It belongs to the Slavic language family, just like Russian or Czech. In fact, Polish is the second most spoken Slavic language after Russian!

Alphabet Fun for Little Learners

Once kids know what the letters look like, the best way to make them stick is through play. Here are two simple activities that turn the Polish alphabet into a game.

Letter Hopscotch

Draw the Polish letters with chalk and jump from one to the next while saying each sound. Mix it up with words that start with each letter.

Sing the ABCs in Polish

Play a Polish alphabet song and sing along. Repeat tricky sounds like Ł and Ż to build comfort.

Want to Learn More Polish?

The Polish alphabet is the doorway to reading, writing, and speaking with confidence. With music, games, and smiles, even Ź becomes easy to love. Whether you’re exploring the alphabet, singing Polish songs, or learning everyday phrases, Dinolingo’s online Polish lessons for kids are a fun and interactive way to dive in. Designed for kids aged 2 to 14, Dinolingo introduces letters through colorful visuals, sounds, games, songs, and stories that build phonics skills and turn complex letters into playful friends.