Order alphabetically based on the first two letter

Key Notes :

What is Alphabetical Order?

Alphabetical order means arranging words in the same order as the letters in the alphabet (A, B, C, D, and so on).

Normally, we order words based on their first letter. But what if many words start with the same letter? That’s where the second letter comes in!

When the First Letters are the Same

If words start with the same letter, we look at the second letter to decide the order. Here’s how it works:

Example: ball bat bad

All these words start with “ba”. To put them in alphabetical order, we look at the third letter of each word (l, t, d). ‘d’ comes before ‘l’ and ‘t’ in the alphabet, so “bad” comes first. ‘l’ comes before ‘t’, so “ball” comes next and then “bat” comes last! So the order would be: bad, ball, bat.

What if the First *Two* Letters are the Same?

If the first two letters of two words are the same, we just move on to the third letter, then the fourth, and so on, until we find a difference!

• brag
• branch
• brief
• Say the alphabet slowly to yourself if you need help remembering the order.
• Write the words down and underline the first two letters to focus on them.
• Practice, practice, practice! The more you do it, the easier it will become.

Summary

To put words in alphabetical order using the first two letters, first compare the first letters. If they are the same, compare the second letters. If those are also the same, keep going until you find a difference!

let’s practice!