How to Alphabetize in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)

Arrange items in a list or paragraph alphabetically with this simple tutorial

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: August 29, 2024 Fact Checked

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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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]
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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]
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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]
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- 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]
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- 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]
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- If the data you want to sort is in a table that has headers, select "Header row" under "My data has."^{[6]
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The text is now sorted in alphabetical order.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I alphabetize a list of names?

Community Answer

From the Home section, go to the Paragraph subsection. From there, to Alphabetize text, go to Home > Paragraph>A Z↓

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Question

I have followed these steps, but I press "OK" and nothing happens. What can I do?

Community Answer

Once 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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How do I alphabetize an address list?

Community Answer

Capitalize 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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It's also easy to alphabetize in Google Docs.

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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.

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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.

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