Cube notation reference
WCA-style move notation used in Cube Lab guides and algorithms. Read left to right — each token is one turn.
One page for every guide. Beginner pages link here instead of repeating the same tables. Practise turns in Cube Lab with the CTAs below.
Face turns
Each letter is a 90° clockwise turn of that face, as if you were looking straight at it.
- U — Up (top)
- D — Down (bottom)
- L — Left
- R — Right
- F — Front
- B — Back
On a physical cube, “clockwise” follows the face you are looking at — not always the same direction in space.
Prime and half turns
Suffixes modify the turn after the letter.
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
' (prime) | Counter-clockwise 90° | R' — right face the other way |
2 | 180° (half turn) | U2 — top face half turn |
| (none) | Clockwise 90° | F — front face clockwise |
Read algorithms left to right: R U R' U' is four separate moves, not one long word.
How to hold the cube
Guides assume a fixed orientation unless a step says otherwise.
- White centre on top, green centre in front — default for beginner guides.
- Algorithms assume a face is Front. Do not rotate the whole cube in your hands mid-algorithm unless the recipe tells you to.
- After an
x/y/zrotation (below), treat the new top/front as your reference.
Examples
Colour map for a solved 3×3 — same layout as the written guides.
R U R' U'
R U R' U R U2 R'
R U R' U' M2
Where this shows up
- 3×3 beginner and 2×2 beginner — face turns, primes, half turns.
- CFOP and its F2L / OLL / PLL libraries — same letters; PLL H-perm uses M.
- Roux — M, wide r / Rw, and LSE with M + U.
- 4×4 / 5×5 — inner 2R, wide Rw, mid 3R on 5×5.
M, E, and S slices 3×3
Middle slices between opposite faces. Each turns the same way as its reference face.
| Move | Slice | Same direction as |
|---|---|---|
M | Between L and R | L |
E | Between U and D | D |
S | Between F and B | F |
M' and M2 follow the same prime / half rules. Roux LSE uses M and U heavily — the M slice is the middle vertical band between left and right blocks.
Do not re-grip for M. On a physical cube, M follows L. In Cube Lab use Moves → M, or the M key (Shift = M′).
Practise M-slice in RouxWide turns
Turn an outer face together with the slice(s) beside it.
WCA suffix: Rw Uw Fw … — outer + adjacent slice(s). Prime and 2 work the same (Rw', Uw2).
Lowercase letter: in some Roux writing, r means the same as Rw (wide R = R + M′). Cube Lab accepts both styles in algorithm strings.
On 3×3, Rw is R plus the middle slice — useful in Roux Second Block. On 4×4+, wide usually means outer + inner slice (see below).
Big-cube slices 4×4+
Even and odd big cubes add numbered prefixes for inner and middle layers.
| Notation | Meaning | Cube Lab |
|---|---|---|
2R 2U … | Inner slice next to that face (where wings live on 4×4) | Moves → Layer → Inner |
Rw Uw … | Outer + inner together | Layer → Wide |
3R 3U … | Middle slice (fixed centres on 5×5) | Layer → Mid 5×5 |
3Rw … | Outer + inner + mid | Layer → 3-Wide 5×5 |
Undo wide/inner turns on big cubes. Pairing uses Uw to bring wings together, then you reverse that slice so centres return to place.
Whole-cube rotations (x, y, z)
Rotate the entire puzzle — same prime and half suffixes apply.
| Move | Same axis as | Effect |
|---|---|---|
x | R | Roll cube as if doing R (right-side rotation) |
y | U | Spin cube as if doing U (vertical axis) |
z | F | Twist cube as if doing F (front-back axis) |
Some advanced algorithms use x / y / z to avoid re-gripping. Cube Lab can play them in ▶ Demo, but there is no dedicated keyboard key — on a physical cube, rotate in your hands and re-establish white-up / green-front.
Cube Lab mapping
How written notation maps to controls in the app.
| Notation | Cube Lab |
|---|---|
U–B | Drag a face, or keyboard U D L R F B (Shift = prime) |
M | Moves → M, or M key (Shift = M′) |
E, S | Supported in ▶ Demo / algorithm playback; no layer toggle in Moves |
2R, Rw | Moves → Layer → Inner / Wide (4×4 and 5×5) |
3R, 3Rw | Layer Mid / 3-Wide (5×5 only) |
x, y, z | Demo playback only — no keyboard shortcut |
Back to the guide hub for 2×2–5×5 solving methods, CFOP, and Roux.
FAQ
What does a prime (') mean?
Counter-clockwise 90° looking at that face. R' turns the right face the other way from R.
What is the difference between M and x?
M turns only the middle slice between L and R. x rotates the whole cube on the same axis as R — every layer moves.
What is a wide turn?
Rw (or lowercase r in some Roux writing) turns the outer face plus the adjacent slice. On 3×3 that is R plus M′; on 4×4+ it is outer plus inner.
Where is this notation used in the guides?
Every how-to page links here. Beginner and CFOP use U–B and primes; Roux adds M and wide r; 4×4/5×5 add inner, wide, and mid layers.