Words & files

Take turns or match rows

Combine two lists in order

Put two lists together by taking turns or joining matching rows side by side.

Free browser tool

Paste both lists

Paste List A and List B, then choose how to combine them.

Processed in your browser

Copy or download the result

No account. No signup.

Optional guide Learn more about this tool Open the full explanation and detailed steps.

How to interleave two ordered lists

The two inputs are read from top to bottom, preserving the order inside each original list.

  1. Paste List A

    Use the large input box for the first list, with one item on each line.

  2. Paste List B

    Add the second list in the large box labeled List B.

  3. Combine the lists

    Take turns between A and B, or put matching items side by side. Keep extra items or stop with the shorter list.

Quick example

Alternate names and scores

The example alternates three names from List A with three scores from List B.

Common questions

Alternate two lists FAQ

What is the difference between alternate and zip?

Alternate writes each item on its own line in A, B, A, B order. Zip joins matching A and B items on the same output row.

What happens when the lists have different lengths?

Choose Keep the remaining items to append extras, or Stop at the shorter list to omit unmatched items.

Can List B come first?

Yes. Change Start with to List B. The internal order of both lists remains unchanged.

Does the tool store either list?

Not by default. Both lists stay in your browser. Use Save on this device only when you want to keep them here.