Call Python’s built-in tuple() constructor: result = tuple(items). It creates a tuple containing the list’s items in the same order and leaves the original list unchanged.
Convert a list with tuple()
Pass the list to the constructor:
items = [1, 2, 3]
result = tuple(items)
print(result) # (1, 2, 3)
print(type(result)) # <class 'tuple'>
print(type(items)) # <class 'list'>tuple(iterable) builds a tuple from an iterable’s items, preserving their order. Lists, other sequences, iterable containers and iterators can be passed to it. If the input is already a tuple, tuple() returns it unchanged. See the Python 3.14.8 built-in types documentation.
Does converting the list change it?
No. tuple(items) creates a tuple value; it does not turn items into a tuple or modify the list. You can keep using the original list separately:
items = [1, 2, 3]
result = tuple(items)
items.append(4)
print(items) # [1, 2, 3, 4]
print(result) # (1, 2, 3)What happens to nested lists and other mutable items?
The conversion is shallow: it changes the outer container, but does not recursively convert objects inside the list. For example, inner lists remain lists:
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nested = [[1, 2], [3, 4]]
result = tuple(nested)
print(result) # ([1, 2], [3, 4])A tuple’s elements cannot be reassigned, but an element can refer to a mutable object such as a list. That object can still be modified through the tuple:
result[0].append(5)
print(result) # ([1, 2, 5], [3, 4])In other words, tuple immutability prevents changing the tuple’s sequence of references; it does not make every object reachable through the tuple immutable. The Python tutorial’s data-structures section illustrates this distinction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Empty and one-item tuples
tuple() or () creates an empty tuple. To create a one-item tuple from a list, use tuple([value]). When writing a tuple literal directly, include a comma after the item:
empty = ()
one_item = (value,)
not_a_tuple = (value)The comma—not the parentheses—is what makes (value,) a tuple. Parentheses can still make tuple expressions clearer and are needed in some syntax contexts. The comma rule is documented in the Python built-in types reference.
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