TRANSPOSE Function

Flips the direction of a given range or array

Written by CFI Team

Updated January 23, 2023

What is the TRANSPOSE Function?

The TRANSPOSE Function[1] is categorized under Excel Lookup and Reference functions. It will flip the direction of a given range or array. The function will convert a horizontal range into a vertical range and vice versa.

In financial analysis, the TRANSPOSE function is useful in arranging data in our desired format.

Formula

=TRANSPOSE(array)

The array argument is a range of cells. The transposition of an array is created by using the first row of the array as the first column of the new array, the second row of the array as the second column of the new array, and so on.

To input an array formula in Excel, we need to:

Highlight the range of cells for the function result;
Type the function in the first cell of the range, and press CTRL-SHIFT-Enter.

How to use the TRANSPOSE Function in Excel?

TRANSPOSE is a built-in function that can be used as a worksheet function in Excel. To understand the use of TRANSPOSE, let us consider an example:

Example

Suppose we are given the data below:

TRANSPOSE Function

To transpose the data, we will use the following formula:

TRANSPOSE Function - Example 1

To enter the formula, follow the steps below:

First, we select some blank cells. They need to be of the same number of cells as the original set of cells but in the other direction. For example, there are eight cells here that are arranged vertically. So, we need to select eight horizontal cells, as shown below:

TRANSPOSE Function - Example 1a

The next step is to type =TRANSPOSE, as shown below:

TRANSPOSE Function - Example 1b

Next is to enter the range of the cells that we want to transpose. In this example, we want to transpose cells from A2 to B8. Finally, we will press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.

We get the results below:

TRANSPOSE Function - Example 1c

When an array is transposed, the first row is used as the first column of the new array, the second row is used as the second column, and so on.

As mentioned above, we need to enter the TRANSPOSE function as an array formula that contains the same number of cells as the array using Control + Shift + Enter.

The new array must occupy the same number of rows as the source array has columns, and the same number of columns as the source array has rows.

For a one-off conversion, we can use Paste Special > TRANSPOSE.

Click here to download the sample Excel file

Additional Resources

Thanks for reading CFI’s guide to important Excel functions! By taking the time to learn and master these functions, you’ll significantly speed up your financial modeling. To learn more, check out these additional CFI resources:

Article Sources

TRANSPOSE Function