To encode a coding unit in the inter modes, there exist multiple inter modes that signal the motion information using a Motion Vector Predictor (MW) list. The MW lists for different coding modes include spatial predictors. In one embodiment, for all coding modes that use MVP lists, the top spatial predictor is first added to the motion vector predictor list before the left spatial predictor. In another embodiment, a subset of coding modes adds the top spatial predictor before the left spatial predictor, and another subset of coding modes adds the left spatial predictor before the top spatial predictor. For example, all merge modes add the top spatial predictor first, and all AMVP modes add the left spatial predictor first. In another example, all non-sub-block modes add the top spatial predictor first, and all sub-block modes add the left spatial predictor first.