It does work, but sometimes you have to whack it upside the head a bit. <g>
Say you have a column headed "Name," with contents as follows:

1. LastName, First Name: Select Name as the column to sort by, then click
Options and make sure that comma is selected as the field separator. You
should then get Field 1 and Field 2 in addition to Paragraphs in the "Using"
dropdown list.

2. FirstName LastName: Select Name as the column to sort by, then click
Options, select Other, and type a space. You should then get Word 1 and Word
2 in addition to Paragraphs in the "Using" dropdown list.

You can also select Name as both the primary and secondary sort key if you
want to sort by last name, then first name. If some of the names have middle
initials or suffixes such as "Jr.," use a nonbreak space between the initial
or suffix and the name you want it to stick to, and Word will treat the
combination as a single "word" or field.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)

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