Text Sorter
Sort lines or words alphabetically, by length or at random, with optional duplicate removal.
What does this Text Sorter do?
This tool puts your text in order. Paste a list, a block of lines or a run of words into the input box, choose how you want it arranged, and click Sort Text. The result appears in a separate output box, so what you typed stays exactly as it was. You can sort from A to Z or Z to A, by length with the shortest or longest entries first, or shuffle everything into a random order.
Sorting can work line by line or word by word, and four checkboxes let you skip empty entries, remove duplicates, make the sort case-sensitive or keep the spacing around each line. It suits jobs like alphabetizing names, tidying a keyword list, ordering a glossary or finding the longest entries in a list. When you are finished, copy the result or download it as a .txt file. The text is sorted right in your browser, and there is no upload step.
How to Use This Text Sorter?
- Add your text. Type or paste it into the Input Text box. The line, word and character counts below the tool update as you type.
- Choose a sorting mode. Pick Sort Lines to reorder whole lines, or Sort Words to reorder every word on its own.
- Pick a sort order. Choose A to Z, Z to A, Length (Shortest First), Length (Longest First) or Random Shuffle.
- Set your options. Ignore empty lines/spaces is ticked by default. You can also tick Remove duplicate entries, Case-sensitive sorting or Preserve leading/trailing formatting.
- Click Sort Text. The sorted result appears in the Sorted Output box. Sorting does not run by itself, so click the button again whenever you change a setting.
- Copy, download or start over. Use Copy Output to copy the result or Download .txt to save it as a file. Clear All empties both boxes so you can sort something new.
Built-In Features
Lines or Words Mode
Sort whole lines, or split the text into single words and sort those. Lines mode keeps one entry per line, while Words mode returns the sorted words on one line.
Five Sort Orders
One drop-down gives you A to Z, Z to A, shortest first, longest first, and random shuffle, so you can quickly switch the result without retyping anything at all.
Four Cleanup Options
Skip empty entries, remove duplicates, compare with or without capital letters, and keep or trim the spaces around each line. Each one is a simple checkbox.
Separate Read-Only Output
The sorted result goes into its own separate box that cannot be edited by accident. Your original input stays completely untouched, so you can change a setting and sort again whenever needed.
Live Text Counts
Total lines, total words and character count sit under the tool and update as you type or paste, so you know how big your text is before you sort it.
Copy or Download
Copy the sorted text to your clipboard in one click, or save it as a plain text file named sorted-text-output.txt.
How Text Sorting Works
Every time you click Sort Text, the tool runs the same short routine. Knowing what it does with your text makes it easier to pick the right settings, and the routine differs slightly between the two modes.
Sorting Lines
Your text is split at each line break, so every line becomes one entry. Blank entries are dropped if that option is on, each line is trimmed unless you keep the formatting, duplicates are removed if you asked for that, and the rest is sorted and joined back with line breaks.
Sorting Words
Your text is split at every space, tab and line break, so every word becomes one entry. The same cleanup and sorting steps apply, and the words are joined back with single spaces. That means the output always comes back as one continuous line with clean spacing and no extra breaks anywhere.
The order of the steps matters. Blank entries go first, then lines are trimmed, then duplicates are removed, and only after that does the sorting happen. Because duplicates are removed before sorting, the first copy of a repeated entry is the one that stays.
How Do You Sort Text Alphabetically Online?
Paste your list with one item on each line, keep Sort Lines selected, choose A to Z and click Sort Text. That is enough to alphabetize names, keywords, product titles, ingredients or references. Choose Z to A when you want the same list in reverse alphabetical order.
A to Z (Ascending)
The usual choice for name lists, glossaries and reference lists that people will scan for a specific item. Entries that start with the same letters are ordered by the letters that follow.
Z to A (Descending)
Puts the entries that come last in the alphabet at the top. It helps when you want to review a list from the other end or need it in reverse order for quick and easy review.
Capital letters do not split your list into two groups. Unless Case-sensitive sorting is ticked, Apple and banana are ordered as if both were lowercase, and your original capitalization is kept in the output. Ordering uses your browser’s locale-aware text comparison, so accented letters generally land next to their plain versions.
Which Sort Order Should You Choose?
Each order answers a different question about your list. Use this table to match the option to what you are trying to do.
| Sort Order | What It Does | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| A to Z | Arranges entries alphabetically from the start of the alphabet | Names, glossaries, keyword and reference lists |
| Z to A | Reverses the alphabetical order | Checking a list from the end, reverse lookups |
| Length (Shortest First) | Puts the shortest entries at the top, with equal lengths ordered alphabetically | Spotting very short entries, stepped lists |
| Length (Longest First) | Puts the longest entries at the top, with equal lengths ordered alphabetically | Finding entries that are too long for a limit |
| Random Shuffle | Mixes the entries into a new order every time you click Sort Text | Draw order, quiz questions, fair picking |
Length is counted in characters. In Lines mode the spaces inside a line count toward its length, and the spaces around a line count only when Preserve leading/trailing formatting is ticked.
Sort Lines or Sort Words: What Is the Difference?
The mode decides what counts as one item. Choose Sort Lines when each line is an item, such as a name or a keyword phrase. Choose Sort Words when you want to alphabetize the individual words in a sentence or paragraph.
| Feature | Sort Lines | Sort Words |
|---|---|---|
| Text is split at | Line breaks | Spaces, tabs and line breaks |
| One entry is | A full line, with the spaces inside it | A single word |
| Output layout | One entry per line | All words on one line, separated by spaces |
| Trimming | Each line is trimmed unless formatting is preserved | Not needed, since words contain no spaces |
| Good for | Lists of names, keywords, links or short phrases | Word lists and sentences you want in word order |
How to Remove Duplicates and Control Case While Sorting
Four checkboxes control how entries are cleaned up and compared before they are sorted. The table shows what each one does when it is ticked and when it is not.
| Option | When Ticked | When Not Ticked |
|---|---|---|
| Ignore empty lines/spaces (on by default) | Blank entries are removed before sorting | Blank entries are kept and sorted along with everything else |
| Remove duplicate entries | Only the first copy of each repeated entry is kept | Every copy stays in the result |
| Case-sensitive sorting | Capital and lowercase letters count as different, and duplicates must match exactly | Capitalization is ignored when sorting and when finding duplicates |
| Preserve leading/trailing formatting | Spaces around each line stay in the output. Alphabetical order ignores them, but length and duplicate matching count them | Each line is trimmed before it is compared and shown |
Duplicate removal keeps the first copy it meets and drops the later ones. With Case-sensitive sorting off, Apple and apple count as the same entry and only the first one is kept.
Common Reasons to Sort Text
Alphabetizing Name Lists
Guest lists, class rosters, team members and contact names are far easier to scan in the right order. Sort Lines with A to Z does it all in one simple click.
Cleaning Keyword and Tag Lists
Paste keywords collected from several places, tick Remove duplicate entries and sort. Repeats disappear and similar phrases end up next to each other.
Comparing Two Lists
Sort both lists with the same settings and matching items end up in the same positions, which makes missing or extra entries much quicker and easier to spot.
Picking a Random Order
Use Random Shuffle for the running order of presentations, a prize draw or a set of quiz questions. Click Sort Text again for a fresh arrangement.
Useful Tips
Numbers Sort as Text
Entries are compared one character at a time, so 10 comes before 2. To keep true numeric order, give every number the same number of digits, such as 02 and 10.
Click Sort Text After Every Change
Changing a drop-down or a checkbox does not re-sort the text on its own. Click Sort Text again to apply the new setting to the output and see the updated order.
Duplicates Not Disappearing?
Check whether Preserve leading/trailing formatting is ticked. With it on, apple and apple followed by a space are treated as different entries and both stay.
Capitals Stay as You Typed Them
Sorting only changes the order of your entries, never their letters. If you want the finished list in consistent capitals, run it through the Case Converter.
Find & Shorten Long Entries
Length (Longest First) brings the longest lines to the top. If they need to fit a character limit, the Text Truncator can cut them down to size.
Punctuation Stays Attached
Sort Words splits only at spaces and line breaks, so a word followed by a comma is treated as a different entry from the same word without one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sort text alphabetically online?
Paste your text into the Input Text box, keep Sort Lines selected, choose A to Z and click Sort Text. The sorted list appears in the Sorted Output box, ready to copy or download.
Can I sort the words in a sentence alphabetically?
Yes. Choose Sort Words, pick A to Z and click Sort Text. The text is split at spaces and line breaks, and the sorted words come back on one line separated by single spaces.
How do I remove duplicates and sort at the same time?
Tick Remove duplicate entries before you click Sort Text. Repeated entries are removed first and the first copy of each one is kept. The remaining entries are then sorted in the order you chose.
Is the sorting case-sensitive?
Not by default. Capital and lowercase letters are treated alike, so Apple and apple sit side by side and count as duplicates. Tick Case-sensitive sorting if you want them treated as different entries. Your original capitalization is kept either way.
Can I sort lines by length?
Yes. Choose Length (Shortest First) or Length (Longest First) from the Sort Order menu. Entries that have the same length are ordered alphabetically.
Can I shuffle a list into a random order?
Yes. Choose Random Shuffle and click Sort Text. Each click mixes the entries again, so you can click as many times as you like until you get an order you want.
Why do numbers sort in a strange order, like 10 before 2?
The tool compares entries as text, one character at a time, and the character 1 comes before 2. Give your numbers the same number of digits by adding leading zeros, for example 02 and 10, and they will sort in the order you expect.
Why did my sorted words end up on a single line?
In Sort Words mode every word is one entry, and the entries are joined with spaces. If you want one item per line, switch to Sort Lines and put each item on its own line.
Does the tool change my original text?
No. The result is written to the separate Sorted Output box, which is read-only. Your Input Text stays exactly as you typed it until you edit it or press Clear All.
What do the line, word and character counts show?
They describe the text in the Input Text box and update as you type or paste. They do not measure the sorted output. The line count includes blank lines, and the character count includes spaces and line breaks.
Can I download the sorted text?
Yes. Download .txt saves the sorted result as a file named sorted-text-output.txt, and Copy Output places it on your clipboard. Both buttons do nothing while the output box is empty.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. The sorting is done by the page in your browser, and the tool has no upload step for your text.
Does this tool work on mobile devices?
Yes. The layout adapts to smaller screens, with the input and output boxes stacked one above the other, so you can sort text on a phone or tablet as well as on a desktop.