diff --git a/lib/svgo/tools.js b/lib/svgo/tools.js
index 6bd9b69e6..514c667ac 100644
--- a/lib/svgo/tools.js
+++ b/lib/svgo/tools.js
@@ -193,11 +193,12 @@ export const includesUrlReference = (body) => {
 };
 
 /**
- * Checks if changing the path would cause the element to look different.
+ * Checks if changing the position or size of an element would
+ * cause the element to look different.
  * @param {import('../types.js').ComputedStyles} computedStyle
- * @returns {boolean} If it's safe to change the path.
+ * @returns {boolean} If it's safe to change the position.
  */
-export const canChangePath = (computedStyle) => {
+export const canChangePosition = (computedStyle) => {
   if (computedStyle['marker-start']) return false;
   if (computedStyle['marker-mid']) return false;
   if (computedStyle['marker-end']) return false;
diff --git a/plugins/applyTransformsShapes.js b/plugins/applyTransformsShapes.js
index eb1b838d2..5762de7a5 100644
--- a/plugins/applyTransformsShapes.js
+++ b/plugins/applyTransformsShapes.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { collectStylesheet, computeStyle } from '../lib/style.js';
 import {
   toFixed,
   removeLeadingZero,
-  canChangePath,
+  canChangePosition,
 } from '../lib/svgo/tools.js';
 import { attrsGroupsDefaults } from './_collections.js';
 import { transform2js, transformsMultiply } from './_transforms.js';
diff --git a/plugins/mergePaths.js b/plugins/mergePaths.js
index 1453723a2..bb4172ae6 100644
--- a/plugins/mergePaths.js
+++ b/plugins/mergePaths.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 import { collectStylesheet, computeStyle } from '../lib/style.js';
 import { path2js, js2path, intersects } from './_path.js';
-import { canChangePath } from '../lib/svgo/tools.js';
+import { canChangePosition } from '../lib/svgo/tools.js';
 
 export const name = 'mergePaths';
 export const description = 'merges multiple paths in one if possible';
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export const fn = (root, params) => {
           }
 
           const computedStyle = computeStyle(stylesheet, child);
-          if (!canChangePath(computedStyle)) {
+          if (!canChangePosition(computedStyle)) {
             if (prevPathData) {
               updatePreviousPath(prevChild, prevPathData);
             }