List randomizer: put any list in random order
Sometimes you do not need one winner. You need a whole list in random order. Who presents first, second and third. Which song plays next. Which task to start with. This list randomizer shuffles any list you give it and shows the result numbered from top to bottom. It is free, needs no account, and works in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
How to randomize a list
- Paste your list. Type or paste your items in the box, one per line. It can be names, songs, questions, tasks or anything else. The list is saved in your browser, so it is still there next time.
- Press Randomize. Press the button or the Space bar. The list is shuffled and shown as a numbered list, so it is easy to read out loud or follow in order.
- Copy the result. The Copy button copies the shuffled list as text. Paste it into a chat, an email, a document or a spreadsheet.
- Randomize again. Press Randomize once more for a completely new order.
The full screen button in the header shows the list in big type for a classroom or meeting room, and the round button at the bottom right changes the page color.
How the shuffle works (Fisher-Yates)
The list is shuffled with the Fisher-Yates method, a classic way to mix a list fairly. The idea is simple. Start at the bottom of the list. Pick one item at random from all the items that have not been placed yet, and put it in the last spot. Then do the same for the spot above it, choosing from the items that are left. Keep going until you reach the top.
Because each step picks fairly from everything that is left, every possible order is equally likely. No item is more likely to end up first, and no order is favored. Many quick homemade ways of shuffling, like swapping random pairs a few times, can quietly favor some orders over others. Fisher-Yates does not have that problem.
Each random pick comes from your browser's cryptographic random generator, the same kind of source used for security. The method is named after the statisticians Ronald Fisher and Frank Yates, who described a version done with pencil and paper in 1938, long before computers.
How many orders are there?
The number of possible orders grows very fast. With 3 items there are 6 orders. With 10 items there are 3,628,800 possible orders. Mathematicians write this as 10! (“10 factorial”), which means 10 × 9 × 8 × … × 1.
| Items in the list | Possible orders |
|---|---|
| 3 | 6 |
| 5 | 120 |
| 8 | 40,320 |
| 10 | 3,628,800 |
| 15 | 1,307,674,368,000 |
| 52 (a deck of cards) | a number with 68 digits |
With a list of 20 or more items, you will almost certainly never see the same order twice. Each one of those orders still has exactly the same chance.
Ideas: what to randomize
Presentation order
Paste the class or team list, press Randomize, and post the numbered result. Nobody can say they were put first on purpose.
Playlist
List your songs or albums and shuffle them into a running order for a party or a road trip. Copy the result into your notes so you can follow it.
Tournament seeding
For a casual tournament where nobody has a ranking, a random order sets up the bracket. Pair 1 with 2, 3 with 4, and so on.
Study questions
Paste your flashcard questions or past exam topics and shuffle them before each review. Studying in a new order each time helps you check that you really know the answers, not just the sequence.
Tasks
Stuck on where to start? Shuffle your to-do list and work from the top. It also works for chores, workouts and weekly meal plans.
Related tools
If you only need one item from the list, the wheel of names or the random name picker is quicker. To split a list of people into groups instead of ordering them, use the random team generator.
Your list stays on your device. It is saved only in your own browser, nothing is sent to a server, and the list randomizer keeps working offline once the page has loaded.