3x3 Rubik's Cube Notation

Cube Notation is letters and letter character combinations to describe specific turns on a 3x3 Rubik's cube. The purpose of notation is to easily describe an algorithm or a scramble.  

Uppercase letters describe one 90 degree clockwise turn of one layer the letter represents.

If the letter is followed by an apostrophe then the turn is anti-clockwise.

Lowercase letters means you turn 2 layers simultaneously. So you are turning the face and corresponding inner layer. This is sometimes called "Wide Moves" and used in advanced algorithms.

For official scrambles hold the 3X3 with WHITE top and GREEN front.

  • Outside Face Turns

    • Up

UP 

    • Down

down

    • Right

RIGHT

    • Left

left

    • Front

front

 

    • Back

 back

 

  • Inner Layer Turns 

    • Middle

middle

 

    • Equator

equator

    • Slice

slice

 

  • Cube Rotations

Rotation of the entire cube.
    • X-Axis

x-axis

    • Y-Axis

y-axis

    • Z-Axis

Middle