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How to sort list by specific word(s) in Excel?

Author Sun Last modified

Sorting string by values is usually used, but have you ever tried to sort strings based on specific word(s)? For example, sorting a list by the number of times a word occurs, as shown in the screenshot below.

Sort by the number of times “apple” and “banana” appear
A screenshot of an unsorted list in Excel with words like 'apple' and 'banana'. Arrow right A screenshot of the sorted list based on the occurrences of 'apple' and 'banana'.

Sort list by specific word(s)

Sort list by specific word(s)

If you want to sort a list by specific word(s), you first need to count how many times those words appear.

1. Select a cell next to the list, type this formula =SUM(--ISNUMBER(SEARCH({"apple","banana"}, A1))). "Apple" and "banana" are the words you want to sort by, press Enter key and drag fill handle over the cells where you want to apply the formul.
A screenshot showing the formula entered in Excel

2. Keep the formula cells selected, and click Data > Sort A to Z, and check Expand the selection in the Sort Warning dialog.
A screenshot of the Sort Warning dialog with the Expand the Selection option selected

3. Click Sort, the list will be sorted based on the number of occurrences of “apple” and “banana”.
A screenshot of the final sorted list in Excel based on the number of word occurrences

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