Cube Notation Explained: R, U, F, Primes and the 3x3 Moves
Nov 11, 2026 · The Editors
Cube notation for the 3x3 explained: the six face letters, prime and double moves, wide moves, the slice moves M, E and S, and the x, y and z rotations, with a chart.
Cube notation is the shorthand for writing down moves on a 3x3 twisty cube. Each face has a letter — R, L, U, D, F, B for right, left, up, down, front and back — and a letter on its own means turn that face a quarter turn clockwise, as if you were looking straight at that face. A ' (prime) means anticlockwise, and a 2 means a half turn. Every solving guide uses it, so it is worth ten minutes to learn.
The six face moves
Hold the cube with one face towards you. That face is F.
| Letter | Face | Turn |
|---|---|---|
| R | Right | Clockwise as seen from the right — the front-right column moves up |
| L | Left | Clockwise as seen from the left — the front-left column moves down |
| U | Up (top) | Clockwise from above — the front row moves left |
| D | Down (bottom) | Clockwise from below — the front row moves right |
| F | Front | Clockwise as you look at it |
| B | Back | Clockwise as seen from behind — so it looks anticlockwise from the front |
The key that makes it click: clockwise always means clockwise when looking directly at that face. That is why R and L turn in opposite directions from where you are standing.
Prime and double moves
- R' (R prime): turn the right face anticlockwise, a quarter turn. It undoes R.
- R2: turn the right face twice — a half turn. Direction does not matter.
A common sequence like R U R' U' reads: right face up, top face left, right face down, top face right. Cubers use it so often it has a nickname of its own.
Wide moves
A wide move turns a face together with the middle layer next to it. It is written with a lowercase letter or a w: r or Rw means turn the right two layers together. Wide moves appear in more advanced methods and on bigger cubes.
Slice moves: M, E and S
Slice moves turn only a middle layer:
- M (middle): the layer between L and R. It turns in the same direction as L.
- E (equator): the layer between U and D. It turns in the same direction as D.
- S (standing): the layer between F and B. It turns in the same direction as F.
Cube rotations: x, y and z
Rotations turn the whole cube in your hands, without changing the puzzle:
- x: rotate the whole cube in the direction of R.
- y: rotate the whole cube in the direction of U.
- z: rotate the whole cube in the direction of F.
Primes and 2s work the same way: y' is a rotation the opposite way to U.
How to practise cube notation
- Say each move aloud as you do it.
- Do a sequence, then its reverse — R U R' U' then U R U' R' — and check the cube returns to where it started.
- Repeat R U R' U' six times on a solved cube. It comes back to solved, which is a quick check you are turning the right way.
This system is usually called Singmaster notation, after the mathematician David Singmaster, who wrote about the cube in its early craze years. Once it makes sense, our guide to how to solve a 3x3 cube will read easily. A magnetic speed cube clicks into place at each quarter turn, which makes it much easier to tell when a move is finished. For other brain teasers, see wooden puzzles for adults.
Frequently asked questions
What does R mean in cube notation?
R means turn the right face a quarter turn clockwise, as seen when looking directly at the right face. The front-right column moves up.
What does the apostrophe mean in cube notation?
The apostrophe, called prime, means turn that face anticlockwise. R' undoes R.
What does M mean in cube notation?
M is the middle slice between the left and right faces, turned in the same direction as L.
What are x, y and z in cube notation?
They are rotations of the whole cube: x follows R, y follows U and z follows F.
