Rubik’s Cube 3×3 Notation Explained

Let’s learn about Rubik’s Cube notation! These notations indicate which direction to rotate each face of the cube and are crucial tools for understanding solving procedures.

By mastering these notations, you’ll easily grasp the steps explained in tutorial videos and guides.

If you’re new to the Rubik’s Cube, learning just the six basic notations will enable you to solve the cube. For those interested in speed cubing, there are various additional notations to learn, so it’s a good idea to get familiar with them.

layer Notation Notation rule

Layers

Let’s understand the layer structure of the Rubik’s Cube.
The cube is made up of “layers” or “levels” that are horizontally divided. By solving each layer one by one, you can solve the entire cube.

Top Layer

The top layer refers to the upper face of the Rubik’s Cube.

Middle Layer

The middle layer is the central part of the cube, located between the top and bottom faces.

Bottom Layer

The bottom layer refers to the lower face of the Rubik’s Cube.

Rotation Notation

In guides and tutorial videos, you’ll often see symbols like R or L. These are called rotation notations. Once you get used to them, they’ll become second nature!

Basic Rotation Notations

Even if you’re new to the Rubik’s Cube, learning these six basic notations is all you need to start solving the cube.

Slice Moves

Slice moves refer to rotating the middle layer of the Rubik’s Cube (the layer with the edge pieces).
Unlike regular face rotations (U, D, L, R, F, B), slice moves rotate only the central layer. There are three types of slice moves, and they are represented as follows:

Fun fact: They’re called “slice moves” because it’s like slicing through the cube!

Cube Rotations

Cube rotations are used when you need to turn the entire cube.
The rotations are represented by x, y, and z. x follows the R direction, y follows the U direction, and z follows the F direction.

Rotation Notation Rules

Rotation notations are based on the position as seen from your perspective, with each symbol representing a specific face of the cube.

Meaning of the Symbols

• R

  Right

  Right face
• U

  Up

  Top face
• L

  Left

  Left face
• F

  Front

  Front face
• D

  Down

  Bottom face
• B

  Back

  Back face
• M

  Middle

  Middle layer (between L and R)
• E

  Equator

  Middle horizontal layer (between U and D)
• S

  Standing

  Middle front-back layer (between F and B)
• x

  X-axis rotation

  Rotate the whole cube 90° along the R axis
• y

  Y-axis rotation

  Rotate the whole cube 90° along the U axis
• z

  Z-axis rotation

  Rotate the whole cube 90° along the F axis

Types of Rotations

Standard notation (U, D, L, R, F, B)

Rotate 90 degrees clockwise, as seen from the front.

' (Prime)

Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise, as seen from the front.

2

Rotate 180 degrees.

M, E, S (Slice moves)

Moves the middle layer.

w (Wide moves)

Rotates two layers at the same time.