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Alphabetize a list

Paste a list, one item per line, and get it back in alphabetical order.

0 characters, 0 lines

Lines in
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Lines out
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Empty lines removed
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Duplicates removed
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turned off

Sort options

Off treats Apple and apple as equal. On keeps them apart: capitals first in plain order, lower case first in language order.

Sorts letters the way the language does, so an accented letter sits next to its plain letter. Off sorts by plain Unicode order.

Languages order letters differently. In Swedish, a with two dots comes after z.

Sorts as if a leading dash, bullet or number such as 3. was not there. The lines keep it.

English only. The Great Gatsby sorts under G.

Removes spaces, tabs and other blank characters, such as non breaking spaces, at the start and end of every line first.

Drops lines that are empty or hold only spaces.

Keeps the first copy of each line. Case sensitivity above decides what counts as the same.

Your text stays in your browser. Nothing you type or paste is sent anywhere.

At a glance

What it does
Puts a list in alphabetical order, one item per line. One tap switches to Z to A.
List defaults
Capitals are ignored, bullets and numbers at the start of a line are ignored for the order, empty lines are removed and spaces are trimmed.
Your language
Follows your browser's language by default, and you can pick another, such as Swedish or Spanish.
Names
Sorts by the whole line as typed, so 'Smith, Anna' files under S and 'Anna Smith' under A.
Titles
Switch on Ignore a leading The, A or An to file The Great Gatsby under G.
Repeats
An option removes duplicate lines as it sorts.
Privacy
Runs in your browser. Your list is never uploaded.

How to do it

  1. 1

    Paste your list

    One item on each line. A bullet or a number at the start of a line is fine.

  2. 2

    Check the options

    Case, bullets and empty lines are already set for lists. Add Remove duplicate lines or the leading article rule if you need them.

  3. 3

    Choose a direction

    A to Z is the default. Pick Z to A for the reverse order.

  4. 4

    Copy the list

    Copy it, or download it as a text file.

Alphabetizing names, titles and keywords

  • People. The tool sorts on the line as written. To alphabetize by surname, write each name as 'Last, First' first. A bibliography is the usual case: the reference styles APA, MLA and Chicago all list sources alphabetically by the first author's surname, and each entry starts with it, so one entry per line sorts correctly.
  • Titles. Libraries and many indexes ignore a leading The, A or An. Switch on Ignore a leading The, A or An, and The Great Gatsby sorts under G while the line itself is unchanged. The rule is for English only.
  • Keywords, tags, glossary terms and ingredients. Plain A to Z is all they need. Add Remove duplicate lines if the same word appears twice.
  • Words with accents, or from another alphabet. Choose the language in the options, because languages disagree about where letters such as ä, ñ and å belong.

Bulleted and numbered lists

Many lists start every line with a dash, a bullet or a number. Here those are ignored when deciding the order, and the lines keep them. A list of '- pear', '- Apple' and '- banana' becomes '- Apple', '- banana' and '- pear'.

Numbers need care. '3. pear', '1. zebra' and '2. apple' become '2. apple', '3. pear' and '1. zebra': sorted by the words, with each number staying on its own line, so the numbering is now out of order. Renumber the list in your editor after sorting, or remove the numbers before you paste. Letter markers such as a) and b) are not recognized and are sorted as part of the text.

Numbers, punctuation and other surprises

Alphabetical order compares character by character, so '10 apples' comes before '9 oranges', since 1 comes before 9. If items start with numbers that should sort by value, use the Natural or By number orders in sort lines.

Punctuation and symbols sort before digits and letters, so a line that starts with a dash or a quote mark will not sit among the plain words. Make the marks consistent across the list, or leave Ignore bullets on. Leading spaces are trimmed by default so they cannot pull a line to the top.

Questions people ask

How do I alphabetize a list?

Paste the list with one item per line. It appears in A to Z order next to the box, and Copy puts it on your clipboard.

Does it ignore capital letters?

Yes. Apple and apple sort together by their letters. If you want capitals treated as different, use the line sorter, where Case sensitive can be turned on.

How do I alphabetize names by last name?

Write each name as 'Last, First' before sorting, because the tool sorts on the line as it is written. Smith, Anna then sorts under S.

Why is my numbered list now out of order?

The numbers stay on their lines while the lines are sorted by their words, so the numbers end up shuffled. Renumber the sorted list, or remove the numbers before sorting.

Can I sort from Z to A?

Yes. Choose Z to A in the direction buttons under the result.

Is my list uploaded?

No. Sorting runs in your browser. Nothing you paste or load is sent anywhere.

Guides that help

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