Zip Function in Python

zip() function is used to group multiple iterators. It is used to map similar indexes of multiple containers.

How Python's zip() Function Works

Let's start by looking up the documentation for zip() and parse it in the subsequent sections.

Syntax: zip(*iterators)

Parameters: Python iterables or containers ( list, string, etc )

Return Value: Returns a single iterator object, having mapped values from all the containers.

Make an iterator that aggregates elements from each of the iterables.

1. Returns an iterator of tuples, where the i-th tuple contains the i-th element from each of the argument sequences or iterables.

2. The iterator stops when the shortest input iterable is exhausted.

3. With a single iterable argument, it returns an iterator of 1-tuples.

4. With no arguments, it returns an empty iterator. – Python Docs

How the zip() Function Creates an Iterator of Tuples

The following illustration helps us understand how the zip() function works by creating an iterator of tuples from two input lists, L1 and L2. The result of calling zip() on the iterables is displayed on the right.

Notice how the first tuple (at index 0) on the right contains 2 items, at index 0 in L1 and L2, respectively.
The second tuple (at index 1) contains the items at index 1 in L1 and L2.
In general, the tuple at index i contains items at index i in L1 and L2.

Example

## initializing two lists
names = ['Harry', 'Emma', 'John']
ages = [19, 20, 18]
## zipping both
## zip() will return pairs of tuples with corresponding elements from both lists
zipped = list(zip(names, ages))
## unzipping
new_names, new_ages = zip(*zipped)
## checking new names and ages
print(new_names)
print(new_ages)

If you run the above program, you will get the following results.

('Harry', 'Emma', 'John')

(19, 20, 18)

write your code here: Coding Playground

General Usage Of zip()

We can use it to print the multiple corresponding elements from different iterators at once. Let's look at the following example.

Example 1

## initializing two lists
names = ['Harry', 'Emma', 'John']
ages = [19, 20, 18]
## printing names and ages correspondingly using zip()
for name, age in zip(names, ages):
print(f"{name}'s age is {age}")

If you run the above program, you will get the following result

Output

Harry's age is 19
Emma's age is 20
John's age is 18

write your code here: Coding Playground

Example 2 : Python zip enumerate

names = ['Mohan', 'Rohan', 'Yash']
ages = [34, 40, 22]

for i, (name, age) in enumerate(zip(names, ages)):
print(i, name, age)

Output

0 Mohan 34
1 Rohan 40
2 Yash 22

Example 3 : Python zip() dictionary

stocks = ['realme', 'ibm', 'apple']
prices = [2175, 1127, 2750]
new_dict = {stocks: prices for stocks,
prices in zip(stocks, prices)}
print(new_dict)

Output

{'realme': 2175, 'ibm': 1127, 'apple': 2750}

write your code here: Coding Playground

Menu

Board Infinity

How Python's zip() Function Works

How the zip() Function Creates an Iterator of Tuples

Example

General Usage Of zip()

Example 1

Example 2 : Python zip enumerate

Example 3 : Python zip() dictionary

Mark Lesson Complete (Zip Function in Python)

Menu

Zip Function in Python

Board Infinity

Course Lessons

What is Full Stack Development?

Role of Social Media in Supply Chain Management

All About Resume and Its Importance

The Ultimate Basic Resume Format & Structure Guide

Resume Keywords: Optimize Your Resume and Get Interview Call

50 Power Words For Your Resume

Why Are Keywords Important in a Resume?

4 Tips for Using Keywords in a Resume

This is why you should be a career coach!

Types of Power Words for Resume Writing

Secrets Of A Good Resume, Which Will Get You Hired!

Why you Need to Appear for a Mock Interview Before an Actual One?

How to Write a Good Resume

4 Elements of a Power Resume

5 Resume Writing Myths That You Need to Stop Following Now!

Preparing for Final Placements Effectively

5 Resume Design Principles to Create the Best Resume Design

Best Fonts & Font Sizes to Use in a Resume

5 Common Resume Mistakes That You Need to Avoid

Do's and Don'ts of Resume Writing | Key Resume Writing Guidelines

How Many Pages Should An Ideal Resume Be?

The Basic Skills That You Should Not Put on a Resume

International Women's Day | In Conversation with Vishakha Vartak

Tips for Resume Writing & Resume Mistakes That You Should Avoid

Women's day special: In Conversation with Dr. Shoma Shrivatava

Top 6 Words To Avoid Writing In Your Resume

International Women's Day | In conversation with Sahana HS, Board Infinity Coach

4 Places for Professional Feedback On Your Resume

How to Check if Your Resume is Good for Submission?

What is a Job Interview?

Phone Interview Tips That Will Help You Get Hired

10 Common questions asked in an Interview

How To Introduce Yourself During An Interview

How To Make a Great First Impression In an Interview?

Prerequisites For A Job Interview

How To Answer The Question About Weaknesses In An Interview?

How To Prepare for a Group Interviews

How To Ace a Walk-In-Interview

How To Prepare For An Interview

What Is The STAR Interview Method?

Tips To Become A Full-Stack Developer

Day in the Life: Roles & Responsibilities of a Data Scientist

What is Meant by Machine Learning & What Can Machine Learning Do?

What is Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning?

Concept of Big Data and Types of Big Data

A-List of the Top Machine Learning Algorithms in Python

Why Are Companies Hiring Big Data Analysts?

5 Major Skills Required for Success in Digital Marketing

The Myths of Full Stack Development

What is the Scope of Digital Marketing in 2025

What is Digital Marketing & How to Become a Digital Marketer

How To Explain Employment Gaps In Job Interview

What is Search Engine Optimization & How It Works

What Is Content Marketing?

AVP- HR of Manthan Systems enlightens about the field of Analytics

In conversation with Talent Manager at Bridge I2I on essential skills in Analytics

How To Write The Best Career Objective Statement for a Resume

Top 4 Data Science Job Interview Questions And Answers for Freshers

Tips on How to Follow Up After the Interview

Top 6 Web Developer Job Interview Questions And Answers

How To Correctly Follow Up after Rejection in a Job Interview

How To Ask For Interview Feedback

How To Write Your Career Summary in Resume (with Sample)

How Career Coaching Sessions Can Help You To Easily Get Your Dream Job?

What Brillio expects from an entry level talent pool in Analytics

In conversation with the Talent Specialist of Diageo

Future Talent hiring Strategy

A deep dive into Unemployment in India and how it can be solved

Difference between Data Analyst, Data Scientist & Business Analyst

Types of Job Roles Available in the Field of Data Science

Talent Specialists - What do they look for?

Headhunting - A Challenge

How to Survive the Technology Revolution in 2025?

The skills required to stay relevant in IT sector

Data Science Lead - LinkedIn emphasizes the Skills of Analytics

What does a Martech company look for in Analytics?