To alphabetize data in Excel, you have several straightforward methods depending on whether you want to sort a single column, multiple columns, or rows:

Alphabetize a Single Column

1. Select any cell in the column you want to alphabetize.
2. Go to the Data tab on the ribbon.
3. In the Sort & Filter group, click the A to Z button to sort ascending (alphabetically A to Z) or Z to A to sort descending.
4. If Excel prompts with a "Sort Warning," choose Expand the selection to keep rows intact, then click Sort.

This will reorder the column alphabetically and move corresponding data in other columns to keep rows together

Alphabetize Multiple Columns

1. Select the entire range of data you want to sort.
2. Go to the Data tab and click Sort.
3. In the Sort dialog box, choose the first column to sort by from the Sort by dropdown.
4. Click Add Level to add another column to sort within the first.
5. Select the next column from the Then by dropdown.
6. Click OK to apply the multi-level alphabetical sort.

This method sorts hierarchically, for example, alphabetizing companies and then sorting their locations within each company

Alphabetize Rows (Sort Left to Right)

1. Select the entire data range.
2. Go to the Data tab and click Sort.
3. Click Options in the Sort dialog box.
4. Choose Sort left to right and click OK.
5. Select the row number to sort by from the Sort by dropdown.
6. Click OK to alphabetize the data across the selected row

Additional Tips

• If you have full names and want to alphabetize by last name, you can use formulas to extract last names into a helper column, then sort by that column

• Always check your data after sorting to ensure rows remain correctly aligned; use Undo if necessary.
• The A to Z and Z to A buttons are also accessible from the Home tab under Editing > Sort & Filter

These methods efficiently organize your Excel data alphabetically, whether sorting simple lists or complex tables