Sorting Addresses

Let me first say – sorting addresses is best done in Excel (or another database program). There, I’ve said it. If you have a long list of individuals that will become part of a merge, for example, do yourself a favor and put the information into Excel where the data can be manipulated easier. At the very least, you could put the information into an MSWord table. However, there are definitely times where you might want the information to stay in a “block” or paragraph format and not in a table format with rows and columns. If you have a list of contacts (names and addresses) and you would like them to appear in alphabetically order… take a deep breath and read on.

To make this happen, you must follow these rules. I’m serious.

1. Each address must be an individual paragraph. In the samples below, the first example has the information (name, address, city/state/zip) separated by a hard return at the end of each line. In the second example, the information (name, address, city/state/zip) is separated by a manual line break (Shift+Enter). The only place a hard return (Enter) should be is at the end of the contacts information (after the zip).

2. Connect the words using a non-breaking space. You want to sort by the last name? No problem! Take a look at the following examples. In each of them, the first line has a different set of information. “Ms. Lilly Buckhold” has three words. “Richard Eldridge” has two words. “Ms. Andrea L. Harkness” has four words. Yes, the initial counts as a separate “word.” The goal is to tell MSWord to look at the last name when sorting addresses. To do this, you will need to connect all of the words, except the last name, using a non-breaking space (Ctrl+Shift+spacebar). Note: you only need to use the non-breaking spaces on the words in the first line.

In this way, when sorting addresses, we have asked MSWord to consider all words which are connected by a non-breaking space as ONE WORD. So “Ms. Lilly” becomes one word and the second word of the line is Buckhold. “Richard” is one word and Eldridge is the second word. “Ms. Andrea L.” is now considered one word and Harkness is the second word. With me so far? Great job!

If you have made the necessary changes to your list of addresses, you can now sort them.

1. Select the list of addresses
2. Click on the Home tab, if necessary.
3. In the Paragraph section of the Home tab, you will see the Sort option. After clicking on the Sort option, you will see the following dialog box:

Click on the Options button.

Here, you are choosing to separate fields (words) using spaces. Click on the Other option and make sure it contains one space. This seems tricky because a space is “invisible”, but if in doubt you can select anything in that square and delete it. Then, carefully press the space bar. This works because you set up the first line of the paragraph so that the only SPACE is right before the last name.

Then click OK. You will be back to the Sort by dialog box.

1. In the first section, click on the Sort By drop-down list and choose the Word 2 option. Remember, the second word is the last name!
2. Click on OK.

Your list should now be sorted alphabetically by last name. If you understand the concepts in this technique, you can use this information to sort all kinds of text in MSWord.

Coming Soon – Webinars

Would you like to enhance your skills on a specific topic from the comfort of your home or desk? Our 60 minute webinars deliver quick, high quality training, helping you make the most of your valuable time. Some of our webinar classes are: MSWord Essentials, MSWord Styles, MSWord Outline Numbering, MSWord Headers & Footers, MSWord Table of Contents & Table of Authorities, MSExcel Essentials, MSPowerPoint Essentials, and many more! What topic, feature, or skill would you like to know more about? Drop us your wish list in the comments!

Check out our Training Programs or contact us for more information. Visit our Facebook for daily up dates!