Rubik's Cube Notation: How to Read Algorithms

Cube notation describes which layer to turn and in which direction. Standard notation is written from the viewpoint of looking directly at the face being turned.

The six face moves

Letter	Face	Clockwise turn
R	Right	Turn the right face clockwise
L	Left	Turn the left face clockwise
U	Up	Turn the top face clockwise
D	Down	Turn the bottom face clockwise
F	Front	Turn the front face clockwise
B	Back	Turn the back face clockwise

Clockwise always means clockwise while looking straight at that face. This matters for B, L, and D, which can feel reversed from your normal viewing angle.

Prime and double turns

A prime mark means turn the face 90 degrees counterclockwise:

• R' means right face counterclockwise.
• U' means top face counterclockwise.
• F' means front face counterclockwise.

A 2 means turn the face 180 degrees. Direction does not matter for a half turn:

• R2 means turn the right face twice.
• U2 means turn the top face halfway around.

How to read an algorithm

Read moves from left to right and keep the same cube orientation unless the algorithm includes a rotation.

For example:

R U R' U'

means:

1. Right clockwise.
2. Up clockwise.
3. Right counterclockwise.
4. Up counterclockwise.

Start slowly. Accuracy matters more than speed while the notation is new.

Wide turns

A lowercase letter or a w means turn two layers together:

• r or Rw: the right two layers.
• u or Uw: the top two layers.
• f or Fw: the front two layers.

Wide turns appear frequently in 4x4 algorithms and some OLL cases.

Slice moves

Slice notation turns a middle layer:

• M turns the middle layer in the same direction as L.
• E turns the equator in the same direction as D.
• S turns the standing slice in the same direction as F.

The M move is common in H and Z permutation algorithms.

Cube rotations

Rotations change how you hold the entire cube:

• x rotates the cube in the same direction as R.
• y rotates the cube in the same direction as U.
• z rotates the cube in the same direction as F.

After a rotation, every later face letter refers to the new orientation.

Parentheses and repetition

Parentheses group useful move patterns. A number after a group means repeat it:

(R U R' U')3

means perform R U R' U' three times.

Parentheses do not change the moves; they make an algorithm easier to recognize and memorize.

Practice notation

Choose a solved cube and perform short sequences slowly. After each move, reverse it:

• R R'
• U2 U2
• F U U' F'

When each letter feels automatic, try a full beginner trigger such as R U R' U'. You are ready for the beginner 3x3 guide or intuitive F2L.