Rubik’s Cube Notation: How to Read R', R2 and Rw and Which Way to Turn

The basics are the initials of the six faces: R, L, U, D, F, B

Each letter names the face to turn. Looking at the cube from the front, the right face is R (Right), left is L (Left), top is U (Up), bottom is D (Down), the face towards you is F (Front) and the far face is B (Back). A letter on its own means "turn that face 90° clockwise, as seen when looking directly at that face".

The key point is that "clockwise" is judged by looking straight at the face being turned. R and L are both clockwise, but seen from the front they move in opposite directions. Turning the right face clockwise as seen from the right lifts the front column; turning the left face clockwise as seen from the left lowers it.

The prime (') means anticlockwise and 2 means 180°

A mark after the letter changes the direction and amount. No mark is 90° clockwise, a prime (') is 90° anticlockwise, and a 2 is 180°.

In English the apostrophe is read as "prime"; in Japan many people say "dash". Because R2 is 180°, turning clockwise or anticlockwise gives the same result. Some algorithm sheets write U2', which is a hint that turning this way is more natural for your fingers; the result is the same as U2.

L, D and B are the directions people get wrong

Most scramble mistakes come from L, D and B. Each is clockwise as seen from that face, but from where you are holding the cube it looks backwards, so if you turn them with the same feel as R, U and F you go the wrong way.

• L: the left face, clockwise as seen from the left. From the front, the left column on the front moves down (the same direction as R')
• D: the bottom face, clockwise as seen from below. From the front, the bottom row on the front moves to the right (the same direction as U')
• B: the back face, clockwise as seen from behind. From the front it looks anticlockwise, and the back of the top layer moves to the left (towards L). Imagine peering round to look at the back of the cube and it becomes clear

The surest way to remember it is in pairs: R and L, U and D, F and B are all clockwise, but look opposite from the front. L moves like R', D moves like U', and B moves like F'.

Rw and 3Rw on the 4×4, and lowercase r

On cubes with more layers, such as 4×4 and 5×5, you turn inner layers together with the outer face. The w after the letter stands for wide: Rw means "turn the two right-hand layers together in the R direction".

WCA 4×4 scrambles use three wide moves, Uw, Rw and Fw, in addition to the six outer faces, for about 40 moves in total. Wide moves are always written from the U, R and F side, so you never need to look for an Lw. The Rubik’s Cube Timer's 4×4 scrambles are likewise 40 moves including Uw, Rw and Fw.

M, E and S (slices) and x, y and z (rotations)

Algorithm sheets also use symbols you won't see in scrambles. M, E and S turn the middle layers of a 3×3, and x, y and z rotate the whole cube.

To avoid confusion, remember that M, E and S turn the same way as the outer face they are named after: M follows L, E follows D and S follows F. M stands for Middle, E for Equator and S for Standing. x, y and z don't turn any face; they only change how you hold the cube, so they don't affect how solved it is. x2 turns the cube upside down, y' rotates the whole cube 90° to the right, and so on.

Apply scrambles with white on top and green in front

Scramble notation assumes you hold the cube in a fixed orientation. With a cube in the WCA colour scheme, the standard is white centre on top and green centre facing you. Right is then red, left orange, bottom yellow and back blue. Hold it any other way and following the notation exactly still produces a different scramble.

1. 1

   Hold a solved cube white top, green front

   Use the centre pieces to orient it. Hold it lightly with both hands so you don't change your grip partway through.

2. 2

   Say each move aloud as you turn

   Until you are used to it, reading "R, U prime, F two" aloud as you turn helps you avoid skipping or repeating moves.

3. 3

   Compare with the net diagram when you finish

   The Rubik’s Cube Timer shows a net diagram of all six faces after the scramble is applied. Check that the top and front faces in particular match.

4. 4

   If it's different, solve and scramble again

   Restarting from a solved cube is quicker and more reliable than hunting for the move you got wrong.

At competitions, staff called scramblers scramble the cube in this orientation, and competitors look at it during the 15-second inspection. You can't turn the cube during inspection, so see the 15-second inspection rule, +2 and DNF for what to look at and how.

Practice scrambles vs competition scrambles

WCA competition scrambles are made by a program called TNoodle, which picks one state at random from all possible cube states (random state) and calculates a sequence that produces it. For 3×3 these are usually around 20 moves. Many practice timers instead string together random moves of a fixed length (25 for 3×3), which is called random move scrambling.

Twenty-five random moves scramble the cube thoroughly, so this almost never matters in practice. Strictly speaking, though, not every state is equally likely, so conditions aren't exactly the same as at a competition. The point of practice is to get faster at solving a scrambled cube, so don't worry about the difference in move count; just put in the solves.

Once you can read notation, the next step is timing. How to time with the space bar or a phone tap, and how to read ao5 and ao12, are covered in How to use a cube timer and practice to improve your times.

FAQ

How do you say R'?

In English it is "R prime" (in Japan, "R dash" is common). It means turning the right face 90° anticlockwise, as seen from the right.

Is R2 clockwise or anticlockwise?

It is a 180° turn, so either direction gives the same result. When an algorithm sheet writes R2', it is only showing which way is easier for your fingers; the cube ends up the same as with R2.

What's the difference between Rw and r?

Both are often used to mean turning the two right-hand layers together. WCA scrambles write Rw, while 3×3 algorithm sheets sometimes use lowercase r. On 6×6 and up, a number shows how many layers, as in 3Rw.

Which way should I hold the cube to apply a scramble?

White centre on top and green centre facing you. In the WCA colour scheme, right is then red, left orange, bottom yellow and back blue. Don't change your grip until the scramble is finished.

How can I check whether I applied a scramble correctly?

Compare the cube with a net diagram of the scrambled state. The Rubik’s Cube Timer shows the colours of all six faces after the scramble, applied with white on top and green in front, so you can check the top and front faces.