Convert string to a list in Python
Last Updated :
05 May, 2025
Our task is to Convert string to a list in Python. Whether we need to break a string into characters or words, there are multiple efficient methods to achieve this. In this article, we'll explore these conversion techniques with simple examples. The most common way to convert a string into a list is by using the split() method.
Using the split() Method
The split() method by default splits a string based on spaces, but it can also split using a custom delimiter.
Python
s = "Geeks for Geeks"
a = s.split()
print(a)
Output['Geeks', 'for', 'Geeks']
Explanation: The split() method splits the string into words based on spaces.
Using list()
If we want to break down a string into list of individual characters then we can use list() function which is a simple and effective method. This approach adds each character of the string as an element in a list.
Python
s = "Geeks for Geeks"
a = list(s)
print(a)
Output['G', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's', ' ', 'f', 'o', 'r', ' ', 'G', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's']
Explanation: The list(s) function takes every character in the string "s" and places it as an element in the list.
Using list comprehension
List comprehension can be used for converting a string into list of individual characters. This approach is particularly useful if we want to manipulate each character before adding it to the list. While a loop can also achieve the same result but list comprehension provides better readability and conciseness.
Python
s = "Geeks for Geeks"
a = [ch for ch in s]
print(a)
Output['G', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's', ' ', 'f', 'o', 'r', ' ', 'G', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's']
Explanation: [ch for ch in s] with this list comprehension we iterate over each character (ch) in the string "s" and add it to the list.
Related Articles:
Similar Reads
Convert Object to String in Python Python provides built-in type conversion functions to easily transform one data type into another. This article explores the process of converting objects into strings which is a basic aspect of Python programming.Since every element in Python is an object, we can use the built-in str() and repr() m
2 min read
Python - Converting list string to dictionary Converting a list string to a dictionary in Python involves mapping elements from the list to key-value pairs. A common approach is pairing consecutive elements, where one element becomes the key and the next becomes the value. This results in a dictionary where each pair is represented as a key-val
3 min read
Convert Set to String in Python Converting a set to a string in Python means changing a group of unique items into a text format that can be easily read and used. Since sets do not have a fixed order, the output may look different each time. For example, a set {1, 2, 3} can be turned into the string "{1, 2, 3}" or into "{3, 1, 2}"
2 min read
Convert Tuple to List in Python In Python, tuples and lists are commonly used data structures, but they have different properties:Tuples are immutable: their elements cannot be changed after creation.Lists are mutable: they support adding, removing, or changing elements.Sometimes, you may need to convert a tuple to a list for furt
2 min read
Python - Convert list of string to list of list In Python, we often encounter scenarios where we might have a list of strings where each string represents a series of comma-separated values, and we want to break these strings into smaller, more manageable lists. In this article, we will explore multiple methods to achieve this. Using List Compreh
3 min read