Cube Notation Explained
Cube notation is a simple code for writing down turns. Once you know it, you can follow any guide, solver or algorithm list. It takes about five minutes to learn.
The six faces
Each face has a capital letter. Hold the cube so one face points at you. That face is the front, whatever its colour.
| Letter | Face | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| U | Up | The top |
| D | Down | The bottom |
| R | Right | The right side |
| L | Left | The left side |
| F | Front | Facing you |
| B | Back | Facing away from you |
Clockwise, anticlockwise and half turns
- A letter on its own, like R, means turn that face a quarter turn clockwise, as if you were looking straight at that face.
- A dash (called “prime”), like R', means a quarter turn anticlockwise.
- A 2, like R2, means a half turn (two quarter turns). Direction doesn’t matter.
Watch out for L, D and B. “Clockwise” always means as you look at that face from outside the cube. So L moves the front of the left side down (the opposite of R), D moves the front of the bottom to the right (the opposite of U), and B turns the back the opposite way to F when seen from the front.
Each move followed by its prime: watch how the prime undoes it.
Middle slices: M, E and S
- M (middle) is the slice between L and R. It turns the same way as L.
- E (equator) is the slice between U and D. It turns the same way as D.
- S (standing) is the slice between F and B. It turns the same way as F.
Wide moves: two layers at once
A lowercase letter, or a letter with a w, means turn that face and the middle slice next to it. So r and Rw both mean the right two layers together. You will see these in faster algorithms such as some OLL cases.
Turning the whole cube: x, y and z
These don’t change the puzzle at all, they just turn it in your hands:
- x: the whole cube turns like R (the top goes away from you).
- y: the whole cube turns like U (the front goes to the left).
- z: the whole cube turns like F (the top goes to the right).
Reading a sequence
Moves are read left to right. R U R' U' means: R, then U, then R’, then U’. Brackets like (R U R' U') just group moves to make them easier to read. Try typing any sequence into the 3D cube with your keyboard: press the letter for a clockwise turn and hold Shift for prime.
Next, see how to read a cube solution for tips on following a long list of moves.
Questions people ask
What does R’ mean on a Rubik’s cube?
R’ (said “R prime”) means turn the right face a quarter turn anticlockwise, as you look at the right face.
What does U2 mean?
Turn the top face half a turn (180 degrees). Either direction gives the same result.
What is the difference between r and R?
R turns only the right face. r (or Rw) turns the right face and the middle slice next to it together.
What do x, y and z mean?
They turn the whole cube in your hands, in the same direction as R, U and F. The puzzle itself doesn’t change.