Re: How do I alphabetize a list of words in a Word doc?

Klaus Linke

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Mar 23, 2005, 2:04:22 PM3/23/05

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"PerplexedDude" wrote:
> Can't seem to find an answer in Help. I have a list of 75 words and just
> want them arranged in alphabetical order. Is that too much to ask?
> PerplexedDude

Hi,

Your list looks like "some words separated by spaces" or "some, words, separated, by, commas"?

Word only sorts paragraphs (or table rows). So
-- select the list,
-- replace spaces with paragraph marks (^p)
-- "Table > Sort"
-- replace ^p with spaces.

Regards,
Klaus

Greg Maxey

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Mar 23, 2005, 2:10:45 PM3/23/05

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Use the Table>Sort menu item. You may or may not have to first convert the
list to a table, perform the sort, and convert back. It depends on how your
list is laid out.

--
Greg Maxey/Word MVP
See:
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tips.htm
For some helpful tips using Word.

CyberTaz

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Mar 23, 2005, 2:15:05 PM3/23/05

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It's easiest if you have the info in a table, but as long as you have a
defined list, such as ;

Jim
Tom
Abe
Sam
George

Select the items (paragraphs) and go to Table>Sort where you wil probably
not have to change any settings to get your list arranged as;

Abe
George
Jim
Sam
Tom

HTH |:>)

PerplexedDude

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Mar 23, 2005, 9:05:03 PM3/23/05

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Appreciate your suggestion. However, there are no paragraphs or commas. What
I did was to import or copy a list of words that someone in Germany compiled
in a list of individual words, maybe 50 down and five columns across. It
might be a formatting thing but when I follow the instructions in Word help
to alphabetize them (they are mostly alphabetized but there were additions
put in later so the latter sequence is not pure) I can't get the list redone
in ascending order.

Any other thoughts?
Ken

PerplexedDude

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Mar 23, 2005, 9:13:08 PM3/23/05

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I tried the table>sort. It highlighted the list and gave me the dialog box
that offered a choice of paragraph or field 1,2 or 3. Didn't seem to do
anything when I tried all kinds of combinations. I even did a paste the list
in a new doc and tried your suggestion. Still nothing is working.

I'm ready to email the list to anybody who can figure out how to alphabetize
it. (It is words, not names, if that makes a difference.)
Ken

PerplexedDude

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Mar 23, 2005, 9:17:02 PM3/23/05

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When I hit the Paragraph icon on the tool bar, it gave paragraph signs to
only the last row. The other rows (columns, I guess) had right arrows next to
the words. Is this what you are talking about regarding select items
(paragraphs)?
Ken

Klaus Linke

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Mar 23, 2005, 9:49:40 PM3/23/05

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The arrows are tabs. Replace them with paragraph marks...
Find what: ^t
Replace with: ^p
... then try "Table > Sort" again.

If you need to turn the result into tab-delimited text again, you can use "Table > Convert > Text to table".
Choose 5 columns.
Then, you can convert the table to text again, and you'll get tabs between the words and a paragraph mark after each five words, as you had before.

Regards,
Klaus