To transpose something means to change its position or order, especially by swapping two things around. When you transpose the letters in “stop,” you might get “pots” or “tops.” If you accidentally transpose the digits in a phone number, writing 5632 instead of 5362, you've switched two numbers around.

In music, transposing means changing a piece to a different key. A song written for a high voice might be transposed down so someone with a lower voice can sing it comfortably. The melody stays the same, but all the notes shift higher or lower together. Piano students sometimes transpose simple songs from C major to G major for practice.

Mathematicians transpose numbers or symbols in equations, moving them from one side to the other while keeping the equation balanced. In spreadsheets, transposing switches rows and columns, turning vertical data horizontal.