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Arrange items in a list or paragraph alphabetically with this simple tutorial
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Alphabetizing lists is a good skill to learn in Word, especially if you find yourself dealing with directories and lists often, as it helps with organization. Putting lists in alphabetical order is simple once you know how to use the Sort feature. Follow this guide to learn how to alphabetize in Microsoft Word on your PC or Mac computer.
Things You Should Know
- To alphabetize in Word, first select the text you want to sort.
- Click the Home tab.
- Click the "AZ" icon in the toolbar, select a sorting order, and click "OK."
Steps
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Select the text you want to sort. In your Word document, use your mouse to highlight the list you want to alphabetize. If the list begins with numbers, this method will also help you renumber them in numerical order. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
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Click the Home tab at the top of Word.Advertisement
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Click the AZ icon with an arrow. You may need to maximize the window to see this icon—the button is directly left of the paragraph icon ¶ in the toolbar. [2] X Research source Look for an icon with an A on top of a Z with a downward-pointing arrow. This will open the Sort Text dialogue box. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- If you don't see this icon, resize or maximize the window to display more options on the toolbar. If you're using Windows, click the square at the top-right corner of the window. On a Mac, hold down Option as you click the green circle at the top of the window.
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Choose the order. By default, sorting is done by paragraph. Click Ascending to put the list in alphabetical order or Descending to use reverse alphabetical order. [4] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- If you want to sort numbers or dates in order, select Numbers or Dates from the "Type" menu instead of Text .
- If you want to sort by the second word for each entry (for example, by last name in a FIRST, LAST format), click the Options … button in the Sort Text window. In the “Separate fields by” section, select Other and enter a single space. Press OK , select Word 2 in the Sort By. [5] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- If the data you want to sort is in a table that has headers, select "Header row" under "My data has." [6] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
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Click OK to alphabetize the selected text. The text is now sorted in alphabetical order.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I alphabetize a list of names?Community AnswerFrom the Home section, go to the Paragraph subsection. From there, to Alphabetize text, go to Home > Paragraph>A Z↓
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QuestionI have followed these steps, but I press "OK" and nothing happens. What can I do?Community AnswerOnce you have pressed the "Sort Text" button on Word, it has the "Sort By" area unshaded. Select the options you want, for example "Headings" in drop box 1, "Text" in drop box 2, and then click on the "Descending" button. It is normally already selected as "Ascending." Click "OK" and it should alphabetize.
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QuestionHow do I alphabetize an address list?Community AnswerCapitalize the first letter of every word, making sure to capitalize both letters of the state. For example : 12345 Street, City, AZ, 12345.
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Tips
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Thanks
- You may need to click on the arrow pointing down at the bottom of an MS Word menu (such as the Table menu) to expand the menu and see all the options.Thanks
- You can use MS Word as a sorting tool to alphabetize text in any software that allows you to paste text. Just alphabetize in Microsoft Word first, copy the sorted list, and paste it at other destinations.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/sort-a-list-alphabetically-in-word-4d27ca57-6d64-4229-82f8-a0a1a805d494
- ↑ https://asklibrary.com.edu/faq/62067
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sort-a-list-alphabetically-in-word-4d27ca57-6d64-4229-82f8-a0a1a805d494
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/sort-a-list-alphabetically-in-word-4d27ca57-6d64-4229-82f8-a0a1a805d494
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/sort-dialog-box-bf6fd7c4-9b10-4324-b426-c6e0aa80298b
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sort-the-contents-of-a-table-f8392477-4613-49cd-aba6-7c2e48f1d91f
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Article Summary
X
1. Select the text.
2. Click the Home
tab.
3. Click the "AZ" button with the down-arrow.
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