How to Alphabetically Sort Text in Microsoft Word

Alphabetically sorting text is an essential skill in Microsoft Word, particularly if you're frequently working with tables of contents or lists. The good news is that once you know how, the process is quick and easy. This guide will walk you through the steps to sort lists alphabetically in any version of Word.

Open the file you want to edit. Alternatively, you can copy and paste a list of words that you want to sort into a document. To sort alphabetically, your data needs to be formatted as a list, with each item on a separate line.

Select the text you want to sort. If the list is just a part of a larger document, you don’t need to highlight the entire text. To sort a list within a larger document alphabetically, simply highlight the specific range of data that needs to be sorted.

Click on the Home tab. In the Paragraph section of the Home tab, click the Sort button (with the ‘A’ above the ‘Z’ icon and a downward arrow). The Sort Text dialog box will appear.

Choose the sorting order. By default, the sorting will be done by paragraph. Click either the Ascending or Descending button to select the order in which the list will be sorted. Ascending will sort in alphabetical order, while Descending will sort in reverse order.

• If you want to sort by the second word in each item (for example, by last name when the first name precedes the last name in English formatting), click the Options button in the Sort Text dialog box. In the ‘Separate fields by’ section, choose Other and enter a space. Click OK, then select Word 2 in the Sort By dropdown menu. Finally, click OK to sort the list.

Open the file you want to edit. You can also copy and paste a list of words that you want to sort into a document. To sort alphabetically, the data must be formatted as a list, with each item on its own line.

Select the text you want to sort. If the list is just part of a larger document, you don't need to highlight the entire content. To sort a list within a larger document alphabetically, simply highlight the specific range of data you need.

Click on the Table menu and select Sort. The Sort Text dialog box will appear.

Choose the sort order. By default, the sorting will be done by paragraph. Click either the Ascending or Descending button to choose how the list should be ordered. Ascending will arrange the list in alphabetical order, while Descending will sort it in reverse.

• If you want to sort by the second word in each item (for example, by last name when the format is first name followed by last name in English), click the Options button in the Sort Text dialog box. Under ‘Separate fields by’, select Other and enter a space. Click OK, then choose Word 2 in the Sort By dropdown menu. Finally, click OK to sort the list.