Alphabetize a list in alphabetical order

Paste any list and sort it A to Z or Z to A in one step. Sort names by last name, ignore “the” in titles, put 2 before 10 and drop duplicates. Free, no signup.

  • No account
  • Nothing uploaded
  • Sorts as you type

One item per line, or separated by commas.

Runs in your browser. Your list never leaves this device.

Sorted list

How it works

How to alphabetize a list

  1. Paste your list

    Names, titles, words, tags or whole sentences: one per line, or separated by commas. Bullets and numbering from a copied list are removed for you.

  2. Choose how to sort

    A to Z or Z to A, with or without capitals, by last name, ignoring “the”, and with numbers in natural order. The result updates as you change anything.

  3. Copy or download

    Copy the sorted list in one click, or download it as a text file. Show it one per line, comma-separated or as a numbered list.

Options

Sort it the way you need

Plain A to Z sorting gets lists of names, titles and numbered items wrong. These options fix that, and you can combine them.

By last name

Sorts people by surname, so a class list or guest list reads the way a register does.

Grace Hopper Ada Lovelace Alan Turing

Ignore “the”, “a”, “an”

Files titles the way libraries and record shops do. The titles stay as you wrote them.

ABBA The Beatles Queen

Natural numbers

Reads whole numbers, so chapters, files and versions come out in counting order.

Chapter 2 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

Remove duplicates

Keeps the first of each repeated item. With “Ignore capital letters” on, “Apple” and “apple” count as the same.

apple, Apple, banana → apple, banana

Commas or lines

Paste a comma-separated list and get one back, or turn a line-by-line list into a single comma-separated line.

pear, fig, apple → apple, fig, pear

Capitals first

Turn off “Ignore capital letters” and, where two items match, the capitalised one comes first.

Apple apple Banana

Alphabetical order

What alphabetical order means here

Sorting a list alphabetically sounds simple until a list mixes capitals, accents, numbers and names. This is exactly how the alphabetizer orders them, so the result is never a surprise.

Dictionary order

Items follow English alphabetical order, as in a dictionary or an index. A capital letter doesn’t jump ahead, so “Banana” still comes after “apple”.

apple Banana cherry

Accents sort with their letter

An accented letter sits next to its plain letter instead of after Z, so “éclair” files under E.

eagle éclair egg

Numbers before letters

Items that start with a digit come before words. Natural numbers, on by default, read 10 as ten rather than one-zero.

2 cups flour 10 eggs apples

FAQ

Questions about alphabetizing lists

How do I alphabetize a list?

Paste your list into the box, one item per line or separated by commas. It is sorted A to Z straight away. Press Z to A to reverse it, then copy the result or download it as a text file.

Can I sort names by last name?

Yes. Turn on “Sort by last name” and “Ada Lovelace” is sorted under L. Names already written last name first, like “Lovelace, Ada”, are left as they are.

How do I ignore “The” when alphabetizing titles?

Turn on “Ignore the, a, an”. “The Beatles” is then sorted under B and “A Tribe Called Quest” under T, the way libraries and record shops file them. The titles themselves don't change.

Why does 10 come before 2 in some sorted lists?

Plain alphabetical sorting compares one character at a time, so “10” starts with 1 and lands before “2”. Natural number order, which is on by default here, reads whole numbers, so “Item 2” comes before “Item 10”.

How do I alphabetize a list in Word, Google Docs or Excel?

In Word, select the list and choose Home, then Sort. In Google Docs there is no built-in sort, so paste the list here or install a sorting add-on. In Excel or Google Sheets, select the column and choose Sort A to Z from the Data menu. This tool needs no app and handles names, articles and numbers in one step.

Is my list uploaded anywhere?

No. Sorting happens in your browser, so your list is never sent to Trezio or anyone else. Your last list is kept in this browser's local storage so a refresh doesn't wipe it; press Clear to remove it.

How is this different from Trezio?

This tool sorts one list and forgets it. Trezio is where your lists, notes and links live afterwards: save them to one library, organize them with folders and tags, and search across everything. There's a free plan.

More free tools

Other tools for your notes and links