If you’re getting an error that reads “Incorrect syntax near the keyword ‘DISTINCT’” when using the DISTINCT clause in SQL Server, it could be that you’ve put the DISTINCT clause in the wrong position.

When using the DISTINCT clause, it must be the first item in the SELECT list.

Therefore, to fix this error, check the position of the DISTINCT keyword. If it’s not the first item in the SELECT list, move it to the front so that it is the first item in the SELECT list.

Example of Error

Here’s an example of code that produces the error:

SELECT
    ProductPrice, DISTINCT VendorId
FROM Products
ORDER BY ProductPrice;

Result:

Msg 156, Level 15, State 1, Line 2
Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'DISTINCT'.

The error doesn’t really explain why there’s a syntax error, just that there is one. But in this case, I know that it’s because the DISTINCT keyword is in the wrong position.

Solution

We can fix the above error simply by moving the DISTINCT keyword to the front of the SELECT list:

SELECT
    DISTINCT ProductPrice, VendorId
FROM Products
ORDER BY ProductPrice;

Result:

ProductPrice  VendorId
------------  --------
9.99          1004    
10            1003    
11.99         1001    
12.45         1004    
14.75         1001    
25.99         1001    
33.49         1002    
55.99         1003    
245           1003   

This time the query ran without error.