Office for Mac Issues

How to Fix Excel for Mac Sorting Serbian Latin Letters Incorrectly

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to sort spreadsheet data containing Serbian Latin letters correctly on Excel for Mac.

Product: Microsoft Excel for Mac
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Sorting lists or tables containing Serbian Latin characters (Č, Ć, Š, Đ, Ž).
Observed behavior: Excel for Mac does not sort Serbian Latin characters according to the correct Serbian alphabet order, unlike Excel for Windows or Serbian Cyrillic on Mac.

Before you start

Verify that your data's language is explicitly set to Serbian (Latin) in macOS system settings and ensure you have the latest version of Microsoft Excel installed.

Solution 1Recommended

Sort Data on Excel for Windows and Report the Defect

Since this is a known macOS-specific Excel limitation, the best immediate workaround is using a Windows environment to perform the sort.

This sorting behavior is a confirmed limitation within the macOS version of Excel. While Serbian Cyrillic sorts correctly on Mac, Serbian Latin does not follow the expected alphabetical order (for example, placing Žarković after Zdravković).

Until Microsoft releases a patch for macOS, users must rely on alternative operating systems or office suites to sort localized data properly.

Open data in Windows

Transfer or open your Excel file on a Windows computer where Serbian Latin sorting functions natively.

Sort the data

Select your data range, go to the Data tab, and click Sort. The Serbian Latin characters will arrange correctly.

Submit feedback to Microsoft

On your Mac, open Excel, navigate to Help > Feedback, and report the issue to the development team, including sample data and the expected Serbian Latin order.

Developer Feedback: Submitting feedback with the specific thread link helps Microsoft prioritize fixing this localized sorting bug in future macOS updates.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Spreadsheet Management

If you are frustrated by platform-specific limitations in Microsoft Excel for Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and user-friendly alternative for managing your spreadsheets, documents, and presentations on macOS without expensive subscriptions.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office suite for Mac.
2. Open your spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your existing .xlsx file containing the Serbian Latin data.
3. Sort your data: Select your dataset, navigate to the Data tab, and use the Sort feature to organize your entries efficiently.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv)Lightweight application that runs smoothly on all macOS devicesFree to use with a familiar tabbed interfaceReliable multi-language support for complex data processing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel for Mac sort Serbian Cyrillic correctly but not Latin?

This is a known localization bug specific to the macOS version of Excel. The sorting algorithms for the Mac version do not currently map the Serbian Latin characters (Č, Ć, Š, Đ, Ž) to their proper alphabetical order, whereas the Cyrillic mappings were correctly implemented.

Is there a custom sort list workaround for Serbian Latin?

You can create a Custom Sort list in Excel by going to Excel > Preferences > Custom Lists. However, this is only practical for specific repeating words or categories, not for fully alphabetizing random lists of names or strings.

Does this sorting issue happen in Excel for Windows?

No, Excel for Windows properly recognizes the Serbian (Latin) text definition and sorts characters like Ž, Č, and Ć in their correct alphabetical positions natively.

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