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Alphabetical Order

Alphabetical order arranges words by their first letter, then the second, and so on. 'Cat' comes before 'cow' because 'a' comes before 'o'.

๐Ÿ’ก Fun fact

Libraries, phonebooks and dictionaries all use alphabetical order.

All about Alphabetical Order

Alphabetical order arranges words by their first letter, then by the second letter if the first letters match, and so on. "Cat" comes before "cow" because "a" comes before "o" in the alphabet. This system is used in dictionaries, libraries and phone contacts.

If two words start with the same letters, compare the next letter. For example, "bake" comes before "bath" because the third letter "k" comes before "t".

๐ŸŽฎ Try it yourself!

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Real-life uses of Alphabetical Order

  • Finding books on a library shelf
  • Sorting names in a class register
  • Using a dictionary or index quickly

Frequently asked questions about Alphabetical Order

How do you put "apple", "ant" and "animal" in order?

Animal, ant, apple. Compare the second letters: n in animal and ant come before p in apple, and then compare the third letters.

Does alphabetical order use capital letters?

No. Alphabetical order does not depend on capital letters, so "Zebra" still comes after "apple".

What if two words are the same?

Then they are the same entry, so they can be placed next to each other.