Understand the rule first
Compare from the first letter and move right only while letters match. A shorter word comes first when it is the complete beginning of a longer word.
Alphabetical order 11+ practice
Order words by comparing one letter at a time.
Put car, cart and cat in alphabetical order.
- All begin ca.
- Car is a complete prefix of cart, so car comes first.
- Compare r and t: r comes before t, so cart comes before cat.
A common misconception
Sorting by word length or scanning later letters before finding the first difference.
Reusable method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.Question 1 of 8 Verbal ReasoningcoreWhich list is in alphabetical order?
- Aapple, apply, apron
- Bapron, apple, apply
- Capply, apple, apron
- Dapple, apron, apply
Need a hint?
Find the first differing letter after ap.
Show worked answer
Answer A: apple, apply, apron
Apple precedes apply because e comes before y; both precede apron because p comes before r at the third letter.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 2 of 8 Verbal ReasoningcoreWhich word comes first alphabetically?
- Atrain
- Btrail
- Ctrait
- Dtray
Need a hint?
Compare the first letter that differs after trai or tra.
Show worked answer
Answer B: trail
Trail, train and trait begin trai; l comes before n and t, while trai comes before tray.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 3 of 8 Verbal ReasoningcoreWhich list is in alphabetical order?
- Acargo, care, card, car
- Bcard, car, cargo, care
- Ccar, card, care, cargo
- Dcar, cargo, care, card
Need a hint?
A complete shorter prefix comes before its longer forms.
Show worked answer
Answer C: car, card, care, cargo
Car comes first, followed by card, care and cargo because d, e and g are in that order.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 4 of 8 Verbal Reasoningexam-styleWhich word comes last alphabetically?
- Abadge
- Bbag
- Cbake
- Dball
Need a hint?
Compare the third letter after ba.
Show worked answer
Answer D: ball
The third letters are d, g, k and l; l comes last, so ball is last.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 5 of 8 Verbal Reasoningexam-styleWhich list is in alphabetical order?
- Aknee, kneel, knew, knife
- Bknew, knee, kneel, knife
- Cknife, knee, kneel, knew
- Dknee, knew, kneel, knife
Need a hint?
Compare the letters after kn, remembering that a whole prefix comes first.
Show worked answer
Answer A: knee, kneel, knew, knife
Knee comes before kneel as its prefix; knew follows because e precedes w, and knife follows because e precedes i.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 6 of 8 Verbal Reasoningexam-styleWhich list is in alphabetical order?
- Abloom, blouse, blow
- Bblow, bloom, blouse
- Cblouse, bloom, blow
- Dbloom, blow, blouse
Need a hint?
Compare the fourth letter after blo.
Show worked answer
Answer A: bloom, blouse, blow
The fourth letters are o, u and w, so bloom, blouse, blow is correct.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 7 of 8 Verbal Reasoningexam-styleWhich word comes first alphabetically?
- Acrash
- Bcrane
- Ccrate
- Dcrawl
Need a hint?
Compare the fourth letters.
Show worked answer
Answer B: crane
The fourth letters are s, n, t and w; n comes first, so crane is first.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.
Question 8 of 8 Verbal Reasoningexam-styleWhich list is in alphabetical order?
- Amisty, mister, mistake, mist
- Bmistake, mist, mister, misty
- Cmist, mistake, mister, misty
- Dmist, mister, mistake, misty
Need a hint?
A whole prefix comes before longer words; then compare the fifth letter.
Show worked answer
Answer C: mist, mistake, mister, misty
Mist comes first, followed by mistake, mister and misty because a, e and y are in order.
Quick method: Mark the first position at which the words differ.