How to Sort Alphabetically with Multiple Columns in Excel (4 Methods)

Dataset Overview

To illustrate the methods, we’ll use the following sample data set.

Method 1 – Ascending or Descending Sorting

• Select the data range of the first column (e.g., B4:B22) that you want to sort.
• Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
• In the Editing group, click Sort & Filter.

• Choose Sort A to Z for ascending order or Sort Z to A for descending order.

• Expand your selection if prompted.
• Click Sort to arrange the data.

• The entire data range will be sorted in ascending order.

• To sort the columns in descending order, go to the Sort & Filter command and choose Sort Z to A.

• The columns will be sorted in descending.

Read More: How to Sort Multiple Columns in Excel Independently of Each Other

Method 2 – Implement Filter Option

• Select the data range (e.g., B4:D22).
• Go to the Home tab.
• Click the Sort & Filter dropdown and choose Filter.

• Filter options will appear in each column header.
• Click any column header to sort.

• Select Sort A to Z for ascending order.

The columns will be sorted ascending.

• To sort in descending order, select Sort Z to A.

• The columns will be sorted in descending order.

Method 3 – Sort Command

• Select the entire data range.
• From the Sort & Filter command, choose Custom Sort.

• In the Sort dialog box, set your sorting criteria and order (ascending or descending).
• Click OK to apply the sorting settings.

• The columns of the data range will be sorted from A to Z.

Method 4 – Apply the SORT Function (Excel 365)

• Create an extra table with the same columns and rows as your primary data set.

• In cell F5 (or any other empty cell), enter the formula:

• • • The first “1” represents the column number for sorting.
    • The second “1” indicates ascending order; use “-1” for descending order.

• Press Enter to sort the columns alphabetically.

Things to Remember

• The SORT function is available in Excel 365.
• If you have blank cells, select the entire data table for sorting.
• The SORT function allows auto-sorting alphabetically.

Download Practice Workbook

You can download the practice workbook from here:

Related Articles

• How to Sort Two Columns in Excel to Match
• How to Sort Columns in Excel Without Mixing Data

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