The order of citation is alphabetical within each class of constituents (multiplicative prefixes being ignored), except that hydrogen is always cited last among electropositive constituents if actually classified as an electropositive constituent. This rule applies to the overall name of compounds with multiple constituent ions, so ion names are not simply arranged by formula order.

Section P‑14.6 NONALPHANUMERICAL ORDER: "The arrangement of substituents and other attached groups in a name is not always strictly alphanumerical. In some cases, a nonalphanumerical order is used in order to give more important structural features precedence in citation." This establishes that in organic nomenclature, alphabetical order is not a universal rule for all name elements; departures from strict A–Z ordering are explicitly allowed where structural priorities apply.

In the IUPAC Blue Book 2013 PDF, section P‑14.6 "Nonalphanumerical Order" states that the ordering of substituents and other attached groups in names may follow non‑alphabetical principles so that more important structural units are cited first. The section explicitly describes exceptions to straightforward alphabetical ordering of name components, indicating that alphabetical order is a tool used in specific contexts (such as ordering prefixes) rather than a blanket rule for every part of a compound name.

"Neutral salts of organic acids are named by citing the cation(s) followed by the name of the anion as a separate word. Diverse cations are cited in alphabetical order." The rule explicitly states that when more than one cation is present, their names are listed in alphabetical order. "Fully esterified acids are named in the same way as neutral salts except that names of alkyl or aryl, etc., groups, cited in alphabetical order when more than one, replace the names of the cations."

In naming and indexing of chemical substances, the substituent names are placed in alphabetic order according to their names; only then are multiplicative prefixes (di-, tri-, etc.) placed in front of each as required. This shows the alphabetization rule used when more than one like substituent or ion-bearing group is present.

In the Red Book (Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry, IUPAC Recommendations 2005), section IR‑4.4.3.2 on "order of ligand citation" notes that the order in which ligands are cited in coordination compound names "does not now depend on the charge on the ligand", and elsewhere the document sets out conventions for listing ligands, including the use of alphabetical order for ligand names in many cases. The book also distinguishes between different nomenclature systems and clarifies that cations are named before anions in inorganic salt names, reflecting that the order of ionic species in names follows a cation‑first convention rather than an alphabetic rule based on ion names.

With more than one type of ligand in an ion, the ligands are named in alphabetical order, ignoring the prefixes. For example, tetraamminediaquacopper(II) places ammine before aqua because 'am' comes before 'aq' alphabetically.

The fundamental rule for naming ionic compounds is elegantly simple: name the cation first, the anion second. This ionic compound nomenclature rule mirrors the order in which ions are written in the formula, so the formula itself is your guide.

This Brief Guide summarizing the 2005 IUPAC Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry states general rules for naming inorganic compounds, including that the name of a salt or coordination compound begins with the name of the cation (or cationic part) followed by the name of the anion (or anionic part). Within coordination compound names, ligand names are generally cited in alphabetical order, with specified exceptions. The guide thus indicates that alphabetical ordering applies to ligands in coordination complexes but the overall cation‑before‑anion sequence in salt names is not determined by alphabetical order of the ion names.

Ionic compounds are named with the cation first and the anion last. The same convention is used when writing their chemical formulas. The following guidelines are used for naming ionic compounds: Always name the cation before the anion. The cation will appear before the anion in the chemical formula, too.

The page explains how to name salts (ionic compounds): "Salts are named by listing the names of their component ions, cation first, then anion." It describes cation–anion order but does **not** mention any alphabetical ordering among multiple cations or anions; the primary rule given is positional (cation first, anion second).

The IUPAC Blue Book entry explains that the rules in "Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry" are designed to generate unambiguous names for organic compounds. It emphasizes that preferred IUPAC names (PINs) follow specific structural and precedence principles, and that name construction involves identifying senior groups and parent structures rather than simply arranging all components alphabetically. Alphabetical order is used in limited contexts (such as ordering certain prefixes), but the overarching naming framework is based on group precedence and structural hierarchy rather than listing all parts of the name in A–Z order.

Naming ionic compounds is simple: combine the name of the cation and the name of the anion, in both cases omitting the word ion. Do not use numerical prefixes for the number of ions. For example, NaCl is ‘sodium chloride’, and CaF2 is ‘calcium fluoride’.

A coordination-compounds overview summarises IUPAC practice: "When a coordination compound consists of both a cation and an anion — at least one of which is a complex ion — it is named exactly as any other ionic compound: cation name first, anion name second, no 'ion' appended at the end." It also notes: "In a complex ion name, ligands are listed first in alphabetical order; the metal comes last." Alphabetical ordering is clearly applied to ligands within the complex, not to multiple cations or anions of a salt.

The cation is named first, followed by the anion. The process of naming ternary ionic compounds is the same as naming binary ionic compounds.

Putting it together, if there's an ionic compound you want to name, just list the cation and anion by name, inserting prefixes and suffixes if necessary, like magnesium chloride. When we write out ionic compounds we always list the cation first and then the anion.

A Facebook group answer, citing basic IUPAC practice for salts, states: "In naming a salt, the name of the cation precedes the name of the anion. (This is a familiar rule!) K4[Fe(CN)6] is named potassium ..." The explanation focuses on the rule that the cation name comes before the anion name; it does not introduce a separate alphabetical-order rule for the names of different cations or different anions.

The video explains that when a complex ion contains more than one type of ligand, the ligands are named in alphabetical order and multiplicative prefixes such as di-, tri-, and tetra- are ignored in that alphabetization.

The Wikipedia article on IUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistry notes: "Different side-chains and functional groups will be grouped together in alphabetical order. (The multiplier prefixes di-, tri-, etc. are not taken into consideration for grouping alphabetically." It also states: "Prefixed substituents are ordered alphabetically (excluding any modifiers such as di-, tri-, etc.), e.g. chlorofluoromethane, not fluorochloromethane." At the same time, the article describes that cations (e.g. ammonium) are treated as functional groups with specific precedence, and that identification of the most senior group and other structural rules govern the overall name. Thus, alphabetical order is one rule for ordering substituent prefixes, not a universal rule for ordering all ions or all parts of a compound name.

This chemistry video tutorial explains how to name ionic compounds. Magnesium bromide – remember when naming ionic compounds you simply need to write the name of the first element but for the second one make sure to add the suffix -ide. Calcium sulfate, potassium nitrate, calcium sulfate – in every case the cation name is given first, followed by the anion name.

The OrgoSolver IUPAC guide for organic compounds states: "After you’ve picked your parent chain, name each substituent and list them in alphabetical order." It further clarifies: "Ignore multiplying prefixes (di-, tri-, etc.) for ordering" and "Include structural prefixes (iso-, neo-, cyclo-) in the alphabetization." This shows that IUPAC uses alphabetical ordering for substituent names in organic nomenclature, but the rule here concerns **substituents on a parent chain**, not multiple cations or anions in salts.

For binary ionic compounds, the compounds are named by writing the name of the cation first followed by the name of the anion. This source does not state an alphabetical-order rule for multiple cations or anions.

Naming ionic compounds: an ionic compound is a substance composed of oppositely charged ions… For naming, the name of the cation (positive ion) is given first, followed by the name of the anion (negative ion). The names of ions are taken directly from the element or common polyatomic ion tables; no rule about alphabetical ordering of multiple ions is stated.

The MSU organic-nomenclature tutorial summarises IUPAC conventions: "Assemble the name, listing groups in alphabetical order using the full name (e.g. cyclopropyl before isobutyl)." Here, "groups" refers to substituent groups attached to the main chain, indicating that in organic nomenclature substituents are ordered alphabetically in the compound name. This provides an example of alphabetical ordering within IUPAC rules, but again in the context of substituents rather than ionic cations/anions.

A teaching video on IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic chemistry explains: "Positively charged ions are called cations and negatively charged ions are called anions. The cation is always named first… therefore the name of the metal or positive polyatomic ion is followed by the name of the non‑metal or negative polyatomic ion." It illustrates with examples such as "sodium chloride", "potassium oxide" and "calcium carbonate". This reflects the pedagogical convention that inorganic compound names cite the cation before the anion, regardless of alphabetical order of the ion names.

Common polyatomic ions: NH4+ ammonium, NO3− nitrate, H3O+ hydronium, NO2− nitrite, OH− hydroxide, ClO3− chlorate. In naming ionic compounds containing polyatomic ions, the cation name is written first, followed by the polyatomic anion name. The order is based on ionic charge (cation vs anion), not alphabetical order.

A chemistry discussion referencing Blue Book Version 2 section P‑14.3.4 notes that IUPAC nomenclature permits omission of locants when there is no potential for confusion, and that preferred IUPAC names require inclusion of all necessary locants. The post emphasizes that the Blue Book contains detailed rules for ordering and including structural descriptors based on clarity and precedence, rather than simply alphabetizing all elements of a compound name. This reinforces that structural considerations govern how multiple substituents or groups are cited, with alphabetical ordering being one specific tool rather than a general rule covering ions.

The positive ion, called a cation, is listed first in an ionic compound formula, followed by the negative ion, called an anion. This convention is reflected in naming: the cation name precedes the anion name (for example, sodium chloride, calcium oxide).

ChemistrySteps, describing IUPAC nomenclature for alkanes, says: "Put the parent chain and substituents together by placing the substituents in alphabetical order!" It emphasizes that prefixes like di-, tri-, tetra-, sec-, tert- are not considered for alphabetical priority, except iso-. This reinforces that alphabetical ordering is a standard tool within IUPAC naming, but specifically for organic substituents rather than for multiple cations or anions in inorganic salts.

When naming a compound with two or more functional groups, substituents are added with prefixes and then placed in alphabetical order. This is about organic nomenclature, not ionic naming, but it reflects the broader chemistry convention that alphabetization is used among same-class naming elements.

The fundamental rule for writing formulas of ionic compounds is that the cation is written first, followed by the anion. Names of ionic compounds follow the same pattern: cation name first, anion name second. There is no discussion of listing ion names alphabetically; the order is determined by charge sign.

Lists of compound names such as magnesium chloride, copper(II) chloride, manganese(II) sulfate, sodium sulfate, zinc bromide, silver sulfate show that the metal (cation) name is consistently given first, followed by the anion name. The sequence of names is not alphabetical by ion but reflects the cation-then-anion convention.

In a short teaching reel on ionic compounds, the instructor states: "What is the cation? The cation is always first… The anion here is a polyatomic CO3 with a 2 minus charge." The explanation reinforces the rule that the cation name precedes the anion name when naming ionic compounds, without mentioning any alphabetical ordering of ions.