diff --git a/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/CLDRPaths.java b/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/CLDRPaths.java
index 9388c91a3a9..97a7dbc1867 100644
--- a/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/CLDRPaths.java
+++ b/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/CLDRPaths.java
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ public static final Path getDtd2MdDirectory() {
 
     public static final String EXEMPLARS_DIRECTORY =
             CldrUtility.getPath(CLDRPaths.BASE_DIRECTORY, "exemplars/" + MAIN_SUBDIR);
+    public static final String UTIL_SRC_DATA_DIR =
+            CldrUtility.getPath(
+                    BASE_DIRECTORY, "tools/cldr-code/src/main/resources/org/unicode/cldr/util");
     public static final String BIRTH_DATA_DIR =
             CldrUtility.getPath(
                     BASE_DIRECTORY,
diff --git a/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/ScriptToExemplars.java b/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/ScriptToExemplars.java
index a86377afeeb..6fe84de7bed 100644
--- a/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/ScriptToExemplars.java
+++ b/tools/cldr-code/src/main/java/org/unicode/cldr/util/ScriptToExemplars.java
@@ -5,18 +5,29 @@
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import com.ibm.icu.text.UnicodeSet;
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 public class ScriptToExemplars {
+    public static final String FILE_PATH = "data/locales/scriptToExemplars.txt";
+
     public static UnicodeSet getExemplars(String script) {
         return ScriptToExemplarsLoader.SINGLETON.getExemplars(script);
     }
 
+    /** return the comment block from the original file */
+    private static String getCommentBlock() {
+        return String.join("\n", ScriptToExemplarsLoader.SINGLETON.comments) + '\n';
+    }
+
     private static class ScriptToExemplarsLoader {
         private static final ScriptToExemplarsLoader SINGLETON = new ScriptToExemplarsLoader();
         private Map<String, UnicodeSet> data;
+        private String[] comments;
 
         private UnicodeSet getExemplars(String script) {
             UnicodeSet result = data.get(script);
@@ -25,13 +36,15 @@ private UnicodeSet getExemplars(String script) {
 
         {
             Map<String, UnicodeSet> _data = Maps.newTreeMap();
-            try (BufferedReader reader =
-                    FileReaders.openFile(
-                            ScriptToExemplars.class, "data/locales/scriptToExemplars.txt")) {
+            List<String> _comments = new ArrayList<String>();
+            try (BufferedReader reader = FileReaders.openFile(ScriptToExemplars.class, FILE_PATH)) {
                 Iterable<String> rlsi =
                         With.toIterable(new FileReaders.ReadLineSimpleIterator(reader));
                 for (String line : rlsi) {
-                    if (line.isBlank() || line.startsWith("#")) {
+                    if (line.isBlank()) {
+                        continue;
+                    } else if (line.startsWith("#")) {
+                        _comments.add(line.trim());
                         continue;
                     }
                     Iterator<String> parts = Splitter.on(';').trimResults().split(line).iterator();
@@ -44,6 +57,33 @@ private UnicodeSet getExemplars(String script) {
                 throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
             data = ImmutableMap.copyOf(_data);
+            comments = _comments.toArray(new String[_comments.size()]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Called by LikelySubtagsTest.testGetResolvedScriptVsExemplars */
+    public static void write(Map<String, UnicodeSet> expected) {
+        final File file = new File(CLDRPaths.UTIL_SRC_DATA_DIR, FILE_PATH);
+        try (TempPrintWriter out = new TempPrintWriter(file)) {
+            // copy all comment lines in the file
+            out.println(getCommentBlock());
+            // copy all updated sets
+            for (Map.Entry<String, UnicodeSet> entry : expected.entrySet()) {
+                String script = entry.getKey();
+                UnicodeSet flattened = entry.getValue();
+                if (!flattened.isEmpty()) {
+                    out.println(
+                            script
+                                    + " ;\t"
+                                    + flattened.size()
+                                    + " ;\t"
+                                    + flattened.toPattern(false));
+                }
+            }
+            System.err.println(
+                    "Wrote: "
+                            + file.getAbsolutePath()
+                            + "\n Please check it carefully and commit it if needed.");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tools/cldr-code/src/main/resources/org/unicode/cldr/util/data/locales/scriptToExemplars.txt b/tools/cldr-code/src/main/resources/org/unicode/cldr/util/data/locales/scriptToExemplars.txt
index ef9aa12db52..61fb40a62fb 100644
--- a/tools/cldr-code/src/main/resources/org/unicode/cldr/util/data/locales/scriptToExemplars.txt
+++ b/tools/cldr-code/src/main/resources/org/unicode/cldr/util/data/locales/scriptToExemplars.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
 # - Contains a test that verifies that this data correspond to the derivation from the CLDR data.
 # - Also has the details of the derivation from CLDR data, and shows how to refresh this data, if CLDR data changes.
 # - NOTE: We may tweak the derivation over time.
+#
+# To update this file, run LikelySubtagsTest.java with -DSHOW_EXEMPLARS
+# The file will be updated in place, review carefully and check in.
+
 Arab ;	106 ;	[ؠ-ئةثحخذص-غؽف-كه-ْٰٔٙٛٲٴٶٹ-ځڃ-ڊڌڍڏڑړڕږژ-ښڠڢڤڦک-ګڭگڱڳڵں-ھہۃۄۆ-ېےەݙݜݢݨݲ]
 Beng ;	12 ;	[ঌরঽৄৎৗৠ-ৣৰৱ]
 Cans ;	133 ;	[ᐁᐍᐏᐑᐓᐕᐘᐚᐟᐠᐢ-ᐤᐦᐨᐩᐯᐻᐽᐿᑁᑃᑅᑇᑉᑊᑌᑘᑚᑜᑞᑠᑢᑤᑦᑫᑵᑷᑹᑻᑽᑿᒁᒃᒉᒓᒕᒗᒙᒛᒝᒟᒡᒣᒭᒯᒱᒳᒵᒷᒹᒻᒼᓀᓊᓌᓎᓐᓕ-ᓘᓚᓛᓪᓭᓷᓹᓻᓽᓿᔁᔃᔅᔦᔰᔲᔴᔶᔸᔺᔼᔾᕆ-ᕉᕋᕌᕐᕕ-ᕚᕝᕿ-ᖃᖅᖏᖑ-ᖖᖠ-ᖦᙱ-ᙶ]
diff --git a/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/LikelySubtagsTest.java b/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/LikelySubtagsTest.java
index 7e8b53db97e..6bfa2a607ff 100644
--- a/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/LikelySubtagsTest.java
+++ b/tools/cldr-code/src/test/java/org/unicode/cldr/unittest/LikelySubtagsTest.java
@@ -595,21 +595,10 @@ public void testGetResolvedScriptVsExemplars() {
 
         if (!problemScripts.isEmpty()) {
             warnln(
-                    "Adjust the data in scriptToExemplars.txt. Use -DSHOW_EXEMPLARS to get a fresh copy, or reset to expected value for: "
+                    "Adjust the data in scriptToExemplars.txt. Use -DSHOW_EXEMPLARS to update, or reset to expected value for: "
                             + problemScripts);
             if (SHOW_EXEMPLARS) {
-                for (Entry<String, UnicodeSet> entry : expected.entrySet()) {
-                    String script = entry.getKey();
-                    UnicodeSet flattened = entry.getValue();
-                    if (!flattened.isEmpty()) {
-                        System.out.println(
-                                script
-                                        + " ;\t"
-                                        + flattened.size()
-                                        + " ;\t"
-                                        + flattened.toPattern(false));
-                    }
-                }
+                ScriptToExemplars.write(expected);
             }
         }
     }