Transposition Errors

Adjacent characters are swapped in position.

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Adjacent characters are swapped in position.

Transposition errors occur when two adjacent characters swap positions. This is one of the most common data entry errors, often caused by typing too quickly or by dyslexia. Examples include typing '1324' instead of '1234' or 'hte' instead of 'the'. These errors are subtle because all the correct characters are present.

Original: ABCD → Error: ABDC (C and D swapped)

12345 → 12435 (3 and 4 transposed)
ABCDEF → ABDCEF (C and D transposed)
AB-1234 → AB-1324 (2 and 3 transposed)

How to recognize it

Same characters, but two adjacent ones are in reversed order
Length remains the same
Often occurs in the middle of strings

Common mistakes

Confusing transposition with substitution
Missing subtle swaps in long strings
Not checking adjacent pairs systematically

Step-by-step walkthrough

Find the error: Original '12345' vs Given '12435'

Compare position 1: '1' = '1' ✓
Compare position 2: '2' = '2' ✓
Compare position 3: '3' vs '4' - mismatch found!
Compare position 4: '4' vs '3' - mismatch found!
Compare position 5: '5' = '5' ✓
Pattern: positions 3 and 4 contain swapped characters

Answer: Transposition error: '3' and '4' swapped at positions 3-4

Practice guidance

Error Checking