Rubik’s cube notation: how to read U R F L D B algorithms

Every Rubik algorithm is written with six letters. Learn them and you can read any tutorial online.

The six faces

U up, D down, R right, L left, F front, B back. Always hold the cube fixed so you don’t confuse faces.

Modifiers

• R: turn the right face 90° clockwise (as you look straight at it).
• R′ (“R prime”): counter-clockwise.
• R2: a 180° turn.

Remembering direction

Imagine looking straight at the face like a clock. Clockwise is the plain letter. With R the front goes up; with L the front goes down; with U the front moves left.

Advanced notation

For speedsolving or bigger cubes you’ll meet M E S (the three middle slices), x y z (whole-cube rotations) and lowercase like r f (turn two layers at once). In the app, every symbol has a “Try” button so you can see the motion.