How to sort alphabetically in excel
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Alphabetical sorting in Excel is a feature that arranges text values in ascending (A to Z) or descending (Z to A) order within a selected range or column.
How to sort a single column alphabetically in Excel
To sort a single column alphabetically in Excel, follow these steps:
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Select any cell in the column that contains the text you want to sort.
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Open the Data tab on the Ribbon.
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Choose Sort A to Z for ascending order.
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Choose Sort Z to A for descending order.
Windows and Mac use the same steps.
How to sort multiple columns alphabetically without breaking row data
To sort multiple columns alphabetically in Excel, follow these steps:
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Select the full data range that contains all related columns.
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Open the Data tab.
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Click Sort to open the Sort dialog.
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Select the column you want to sort by under Column.
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Select A to Z or Z to A under Order.
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Click OK.
Excel keeps each row intact during the sort.
How to sort a table alphabetically
To sort an Excel Table alphabetically, follow these steps:
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Click any cell inside the table.
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Open the Data tab.
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Use Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A next to the column header name.
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Apply the sort.
Excel applies structured sorting rules and updates the table references automatically.
How to alphabetically sort using custom levels
To sort using custom levels in Excel, follow these steps:
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Select the entire dataset.
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Open the Data tab.
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Click Sort.
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Click Add Level to introduce another sorting condition.
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Set the primary column.
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Set the secondary column.
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Choose A to Z or Z to A.
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Click OK.
Excel sorts by the first level, then applies the next level to matching values.
How to alphabetically sort while ignoring leading spaces
To sort alphabetically while ignoring leading spaces, follow these steps:
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Select the column.
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Press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Cmd + H (Mac).
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Replace leading spaces by typing a single space in Find what, leaving Replace with empty.
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Click Replace All.
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Run the alphabetical sort.
This ensures Excel evaluates the first character correctly.
How to sort alphabetically when the column contains blanks
Excel sorts blanks automatically by placing them at the bottom in ascending order and the top in descending order.
To sort alphabetically when blanks exist in the dataset, follow these steps:
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Select the dataset.
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Open Data.
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Choose Sort A to Z.
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Review the sorted output.
Blank cells never disrupt alphabetical order.
How to sort alphabetically using the Sort & Filter button
To use the Sort & Filter button for alphabetical sorting:
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Select the column.
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Open the Home tab.
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Click Sort & Filter.
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Choose Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.
This performs the same operation available in the Data tab.
How to sort alphabetically with filters enabled
To alphabetically sort a filtered column:
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Turn on filters using Data → Filter.
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Click the filter arrow in the column header.
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Choose Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.
Filtered sorting only reorders visible rows.
How to sort alphabetically in Excel for Mac
Excel for Mac uses the same sorting process found in Excel for Windows.
The Sort dialog, Sort & Filter button, and filter-based sorting appear in the same locations.
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