How alphabetical order works here
Lines are sorted the way a dictionary does it, not by computer code order. That means accented letters sit with their plain ones (Éclair next to eclair), and with Ignore case on, “apple” sits next to “Apple” instead of after every word that starts with a capital.
Numbers and symbols come before letters. With Numbers in order on, numbers inside a line are read as whole numbers, so “Item 2” comes before “Item 10”. Without it, “Item 10” comes first, because 1 comes before 2.
The other orders
Beyond A to Z:
- Z to A: alphabetical, backwards.
- Shortest first or Longest first: by number of characters, with ties in A to Z order.
- Reverse current order: flips the list without sorting it, so the last line comes first.
- Shuffle: a random order. Tap Shuffle again for a new one, handy for picking a giveaway winner or a running order.
Cleaning up while you sort
Pasted lists often come with stray spaces and blank lines. Trim each line removes spaces at the start and end, which also stops “ banana” from sorting before “apple”. Remove empty lines drops the blanks, and Remove duplicates keeps one copy of each line.
Sorting in Word, Google Docs and Excel
In Word, select the list and use the Sort button (A→Z) on the Home tab. Google Docs has no built-in sort, so a tool like this one is the quickest way. In Excel or Google Sheets, select the column and use Data → Sort range, or =SORT(A:A) in Sheets.
Frequently asked questions
How do I put a list in alphabetical order?
Paste the list here with one item per line and choose A to Z. Copy the result. It works for names, words, links or anything else on separate lines.
Why does “Item 10” come before “Item 2”?
Plain alphabetical order compares one character at a time, and 1 comes before 2. Turn on Numbers in order to sort numbers by their value.
How do I alphabetise in Google Docs?
Google Docs has no sort button. Copy your list, paste it here, sort it and paste it back.
Can I sort by last name?
Not directly, since the whole line is sorted. Put lines in “Last, First” order first, for example with find and replace, then sort.
Is the shuffle truly random?
It's random enough for picking a winner or mixing a list, using a standard Fisher–Yates shuffle. It isn't meant for anything that needs cryptographic randomness, like passwords.