Cube notation
An algorithm is a list of letters. Each letter is one turn. Pick the cube you are learning, then tap a symbol to see how it turns.
The layer-by-layer lessons use only the six faces, turn directions and whole-cube turns. CFOP adds two-layer turns (Rw, Fw) and middle slices (M, E, S).
Try it on the cube
Showing: R
The six outer faces
Direction and amount
Two layers together
Middle slices
Whole-cube rotations
Step 1 / 1
R: Right face: turn 90°, front face goes up
Step 1 of 1: R. Right face: turn 90°, front face goes up
The six outer faces
Each capital letter is a face. Turn it clockwise as if you were looking straight at that face.
- R: right face
- L: left face
- U: up (top) face
- D: down (bottom) face
- F: front face
- B: back face
Direction and amount
An apostrophe (') means counterclockwise. A 2 means a half turn (180°), in either direction.
R · R' · R2
Middle slices: M, E, S
M is the vertical slice between R and L, and turns like L. E is the horizontal slice between U and D, and turns like D. S is the slice between F and B, and turns like F.
M, E and S exist only on odd cubes such as the 3x3 and 5x5.
Two layers on the 3x3
Rw turns the right face and the middle slice together, Fw the front face and the middle slice. Many books and sites write these as r and f.
Whole-cube rotations
x, y and z turn the whole cube, with no layer turning on its own. x follows R, y follows U, z follows F. Cube rotations are not counted as moves.