Python Lists

Creating lists

Lists are ordered collections that can hold any type. Use square brackets.

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
mixed = [1, "hello", True]
print(fruits)

Accessing and modifying

Access items by index. Lists are mutable — you can change items in place.

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
print(fruits[0])    # apple
fruits[1] = "mango"
print(fruits)

List methods

append(), insert(), remove(), pop(), sort(), reverse(), len().

nums = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5]
nums.append(9)
nums.sort()
print(nums)

Try it yourself

Run the example below. Edit it and see what changes.

colors = ["red", "green", "blue"]
colors.append("yellow")
print(colors)
print(len(colors))
 

Common mistakes

• ⚠Index out of range — accessing an index beyond the list length.
• ⚠Confusing append() (adds one item) with extend() (adds many).
• ⚠Forgetting that sort() modifies the list in place and returns None.