TypeError: sorting mixed text + numbers

What this problem practises

The two sorting APIs are not interchangeable: sorted() returns a brand-new list while list.sort() sorts in place and returns None. Key functions compare the values they extract, and comparing mixed types raises TypeError.

This is a fix-the-bug problem: a short program is given in its broken state, and the task is to repair the code so it produces the required output. The interactive editor runs your fixed version in the browser and checks it for you — no setup, no local interpreter.

Difficulty: easy — the fix or the trick is normally a single line, and a careful read should be enough.

The challenge

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Keep going

• Python debugging guide — a systematic method for finding bugs like this one fast.
• Browse every sorting problem in this topic.
• Common Python errors and what they actually mean, plus the Python glossary for any term used on this page.