Use sorted(records, key=lambda item: item[1]) to sort tuples by their second element in ascending order. The index is zero-based, so item[1] selects the second value. Use list.sort() instead if you want to reorder the original list.
Sort by the second element
For example, this sorts a list of fruit-and-number tuples by the number:
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records = [('pear', 3), ('apple', 1), ('plum', 2)]
sorted_records = sorted(records, key=lambda item: item[1])
print(sorted_records)
# [('apple', 1), ('plum', 2), ('pear', 3)]The key function receives each tuple and returns the value Python should compare. Python’s Sorting HOWTO documents that the key function is called exactly once for each input record: Python Sorting HOWTO.
Choose whether to keep or change the original list
Keep the original unchanged
sorted() returns a new list, leaving records in its original order:
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sorted_records = sorted(records, key=lambda item: item[1])It accepts an iterable and produces a list, so it is also suitable when the input is not already a list.
Sort the list in place
Call sort() on a list to reorder that list directly. It changes the list and returns None:
records.sort(key=lambda item: item[1])Use this when you no longer need the original ordering.
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operator.itemgetter(1) selects the same second element as lambda item: item[1]:
from operator import itemgetter
sorted_records = sorted(records, key=itemgetter(1))
# Or, for an in-place sort:
records.sort(key=itemgetter(1))The official Python 3.14.7 Sorting Techniques documentation includes itemgetter among the standard ways to provide a sort key.
Sort in descending order
Pass reverse=True to either sorting method:
sorted_records = sorted(records, key=itemgetter(1), reverse=True)
# In place:
records.sort(key=itemgetter(1), reverse=True)Handle ties and add a tie-breaker
Keep tied records in their existing order
Python’s sort is stable: if two tuples have the same second element, their relative order from the input is preserved. This is useful when that input order already has meaning.
Sort by another field when values tie
To sort first by the second element and then by the first, return both values as a tuple key:
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# Equivalent:
sorted_records = sorted(records, key=itemgetter(1, 0))Python compares the key tuple from left to right: the second element determines the main order, and the first element breaks ties.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the input data if sorting raises an error
The simple key expression assumes that every record has an element at index 1 and that the resulting values can be compared with one another. A tuple with fewer than two elements can cause an IndexError; incompatible second-element types can cause a TypeError. Validate the records or convert their values to a consistent, orderable type before sorting.
The standard sorting interfaces and key options are described in the Python 3.14.7 Sorting HOWTO.
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