Software & Apps > MS Office How to Alphabetize in Word Word supports simple and multi-level sorts for tabular data By Tricia Goss Tricia Goss Facebook Twitter Writer Pima College Tricia Goss has been a writer and editor for 10+ years. She's written tips and tutorials for Microsoft Office applications and other sites. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 4, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section How to Alphabetize a List in Word How to Sort a Table Alphabetically Advanced Table Sorting Frequently Asked Questions What To Know Lists: Select the list. Go to Home > Sort. Pick Paragraph in Sort By and Text in Type. Choose either Ascending or Descending, and press OK.Tables: Under Layout, go to Data > Sort. Pick Header Row in My List Has, the column in Sort By, Text in Type, and Asc. or Desc. Press OK.Advanced: Select Column 1 and Sort By. Then, select Column 2 and Then By. Press OK. Select Options for more sorting controls. This article explains how to alphabetize in Word, so you can save you loads of time and effort when you want to sort, organize, or classify text in tables, lists, or columns. These instructions apply to Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2016 for Mac, and Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac. How to Alphabetize a List in Word Sort any list in alphabetic or reverse alphabetical order with little more than a few clicks of the mouse. Select the text of your list. From the Home tab, select Sort to open the Sort Text box. Sorting in Word is simple. Choose Paragraphs in the Sort By box and choose Text in the Type box. Select Ascending (A to Z) or Descending (Z to A). Then, press OK. If you alphabetize a numbered list, the sorted list will remain numbered correctly. This process will not sort a multilevel list properly. How to Sort a Table Alphabetically The process of sorting a table alphabetically is similar to sorting a list. From the Layout tab, find the Data section, then select Sort to open the Sort dialog box. This dialog box supports several options. Select Header Row under My List Has at the bottom of the box if your table has a header row. This setting prevents Word from including your headers in the sort process. Choose the name of the column by which you want to sort the table in the Sort By list. The Table Tools tab helps alphabetize in Word. Choose the way you want to sort the table in the Type list. To sort alphabetically, choose Text. Select Ascending or Descending to select the sort order. Click OK to sort the table. Advanced Table Sorting Word supports multi-level sorting—a helpful feature if a primary sort column includes duplicate values. Select Column 1 in the Sort By list of the Sort dialog box. Sort by multiple columns in a Word table. Select Column 2 in the Then By list. Select OK to sort the table. Select Options in the Sort dialog box for other advanced options. For example, sort text alphabetically using tabs, commas, or other separators; make the sort case sensitive; choose the language you want to use to sort text alphabetically in Word. FAQ How do I sort a table in ascending order in Word? Select the table and go to Table Design > Layout > Sort. Choose whether or not your data has headers. Next to Sort by, choose how you want to sort (name or column) and what type of data it is (text, number, or date). Select Ascending as your sort order. How do I make a table in Word? To insert a table in Word, place your cursor where you want the table to appear and select Insert > Table > drag over the cells to select how many columns and rows you want. How do I add a row to a table in Word? Click in the table where you want the row > right-click > Insert > select Insert Rows Above or Insert Rows Below. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit