alphabetization

A-to-Z sorting

Alphabetization is the arrangement of items in the order of the alphabet: The alphabetization of the card catalog took months.

The term also refers to the process of putting things in that order: I'll handle the alphabetization of these files.

Different systems exist—some ignore articles like "the," others treat letter-by-letter versus word-by-word differently.

organizing

indexing

Systematic organization for retrieval

filingStoring documents systematically
sortingArranging into sequence
arrangingSystematically positioning elements

cataloging · sequencing · ordering · listing · collating · tabulation · enumeration · classification · systematization · archiving

literacy

ABCs

Elementary letter sequence

spellingCorrect letter sequence
phonicsSound-based reading instruction
readingInterpreting written text

writing · vocabulary · letters · learning · education · instruction · primers · decoding · penmanship · dictionaries

Categories

lexicographydictionary, dictionaries, definition, definitions, thesaurus
dictionariesdictionary, dictionaries, definitions, definition, entries
directoriesphone book, phone books, white pages, phone directory, business directory
document formattingmargins, headers, footers, headings, subheadings
catalogingcard catalog, catalogers, catalog card, cataloging, card catalogue
indexingindexes, catalog, indexer, indexing, keyword

Opposites

ordering principle

alphabetizationchronological order

Arrangement by time of occurrence

order vs. disorder

alphabetizationrandomization

Introducing chance systematically

disorder · chaos · disorganization · scrambling · shuffling

Family

alphabet, alphabets, beta, alphabetize, alphabetical, alphabetic, alphabetized, alphabetizing, alphabetically

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G