How to use alphabetical order in excel?

This guide will show you how to alphabetize in Excel using the Sort and Filter functions to organize your data from A to Z. This feature is particularly useful for large datasets where it would take a very long time to alphabetize information in Excel manually.

Before you go on to learn more about Alphabetizing in Excel, use the form below to download CFI’s Excel Shortcuts Cheat Sheet.

Follow the steps below to sort your data from A to Z (or in reverse, from Z to A). It’s important to point out that the Sort function can also be used or organize data from the largest to smallest and smallest to largest. We will outline the steps using two different methods: Sort and Filter.

To alphabetize in Excel using Sort, select the data, go to the Data Ribbon, click Sort, then select the column you want to alphabetize by.

Step 1

Select the data you want to alphabetize with your cursor. You can select just one column, or multiple columns if you want to include other information. In the screenshot below, you can see how two columns are selected. This means Excel will match the data in the second column to the alphabetical order of data in the first column.

Step 2

Once the information is highlighted, access the Data Ribbon and select the Sort function. A dialogue box will then appear, and you’ll be prompted to choose which column you want to use to sort the data by. In our example, we chose ‘City.’ Then decide if you want to alphabetize from A to Z or reverse-alphabetize from Z to A.

Step 3

Press OK and view your results, as shown below. If you wish to undo the sorting, you can Undo the action by pressing Ctrl + Z.

Now we will show you how to alphabetize in Excel using the Filter function. This method should be used if you plan on repeating the action multiple times, as you will have a lasting option to keep resorting or unsorting the information.

Step 1

Select the data you want to be in alphabetical order, including any additional columns that you want to be included. In our case, this is both City and Ranking.

Step 2

After the information is selected, access the Data Ribbon and then click Filter. This will automatically add a small drop-down arrow to the top of each column you selected. Click on the arrow at the top of the column you want to alphabetize, then select either A to Z or Z to A.

Step 3

You can now sort any column in the table by clicking the down arrow and alphabetizing it.

• Select a cell in the column you want to sort.
• On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, do one of the following: To quick sort in ascending order, click. (Sort A to Z). To quick sort in descending order, click. (Sort Z to A).

Select any cell within your data range.

One of the most common functions in an Excel spreadsheet is sorting data alphabetically.

This feature is extremely helpful for organizing lists of names, cities, and more. While there are several ways to alphabetize rows and columns, the most reliable way is to give instructions within the "Sort" feature, which is found in the "Data" tab.

Additionally, there are shortcuts to quickly reorganize cells from "A to Z" or from "Z to A." These shortcuts are found in both the "Data" and "Home" tabs.

Excel automatically tries to alphabetize vertically by column, but you can easily adjust this setting to sort horizontally by row.

Here's how to do it.

1. Open the Excel spreadsheet you need to alphabetize on your Mac computer or PC.

2. Select the data you want to sort, or do not highlight anything if you wish to sort the entire document.

3. Navigate to the "Data" tab found at the top of the page.

4. Click "Sort" located in the middle of the toolbar.

5. This will open a pop-up with details of how to sort your rows and columns. Excel will automatically populate instructions to sort data by Column A from A to Z.

6. Click the "Column" drop-down menu to change to Column B (or another column if you have more than two).

7. If your list has headers, check the box in the upper right-hand corner. This will eliminate the top row from the sorting, and the column will now be labeled as such (instead of Column A).

8. Select whether you still want to organize by this first column or from a different column by clicking the "Column" dropdown menu again.

9. Select whether you want to alphabetize from "A to Z" or from "Z to A" from the dropdown menu under "Order."

10. Press "OK" after making your selections. This will automatically repopulate your columns in alphabetical order (or backwards, if you choose).

These options, along with quick shortcuts, are also found in the "Home" tab.

1. You can also alphabetize by row in the same "Sort" option.

2. Open the "Sort" popup again, and click the "Options…" button.

3. You will be asked if you want to sort from top to bottom or from left to right. Select "Sort left to right" to alphabetize by row instead. (Excel automatically tries to alphabetize by column first.)

4. Click "OK."

5. You can also click the minus (-) button to remove the column action entirely, and start over by creating a new instruction. Click the plus (+) button and then "Options…" to specify ordering by row.

6. Remember to check "My list has headers" if this applies.

7. Select whether you want to alphabetize from "A to Z" or from "Z to A" from the dropdown menu under "Order."

8. Press "OK" after making your selections. This will automatically repopulate your columns in alphabetical order (or backwards, if you choose).

These options, along with quick shortcuts, are also found on the "Home" tab.

You can also quickly alphabetize by clicking the "AZ" or "ZA" shortcuts. This is an easy way to reorder cells, especially for highlighting just a small batch of data.

However, Excel will automatically try to sort by your first column (or by your last saved instructions), so it's often best to use the "Sort" feature to specify rows or columns as described above.

1. Select the cells you want to alphabetize.

2. Navigate to the "Data" tab, where you will see "AZ" and "ZA" buttons located in the center of the toolbar next to the "Sort" feature.

3. Click which way you want to organize cells.

4. Depending on what selection you made, you may be greeted with a pop-up confirming this area of your spreadsheet. Select "Continue with the current selection" followed by "Sort..." if this happens. This will reorder just the data you highlighted. Click "Cancel" if you made a mistake and would rather sort the entire document.

5. You can also find these "AZ" and "ZA" shortcuts in the "Home" tab.