[header] How to file alphabetically [title] Decide on the alphabetical system you will use. [step] Even something as seemingly straightforward as alphabetical filing offers several options to choose from. It is important that you choose one system and use it consistently. 
[substeps] Letter-by-letter filing considers each letter in each word in the order of appearance, ignoring any spaces between words. Word-by-word filing orders items based on the first letter of each word in succession.