You understand the 4×4 pieces and can read 3×3 face turns.
Keep the same face at the front. Judge the direction of each turn by looking directly at the named face.
1. Outer turns move one outer layer
R, U, and F mean the same thing as on a 3×3: turn only the outer layer. Apostrophes reverse quarter-turns; a final 2 makes a half-turn. These are the moves you will use after reduction.
2. Wide turns move adjacent layers together
Rw turns the outer right layer and the adjacent inner layer together. Uw turns the top two layers together. Lw turns the left two layers together. The w stands for wide.
There is no need to turn three layers in the 4×4 algorithms taught here.
3. Inner turns exclude the outer face
2R means only the second layer from the right. The outer right face stays in place. 2R2 turns that single inner slice 180°.
| Move | Layers | Turn angle and direction |
|---|---|---|
R2 |
Outer right only | 180° |
Rw |
Rightmost two together | 90° clockwise |
Rw' |
Rightmost two together | 90° anticlockwise |
2R2 |
Second from the right only | 180° |
The leading number tells you which layer to turn or how many layers to turn together. A trailing 2 means a half-turn. Check both ends of the move notation before turning.
4. Whole-cube rotations change your grip
x rotates the entire cube in the direction of R: the old front becomes the new top. y rotates the entire cube like U. These rotations keep pieces together but change which face the following letters refer to.
The parity animation shows the whole cube rotating for x. Use the new front and top faces after the rotation. In the drill below, each move is followed by its inverse so you can check which layers move and return to the starting position.
Watch, then try
Work through an example
Start by stepping through one move at a time. This prepared example shows a specific action. Use the lesson’s setup instructions to recognise when to use it on your own scramble.
Watch one worked example
Each turn is followed by its inverse. Watch which interior stickers move for Rw and 2R; the two moves do not turn the same layers.
Example grip: Start with yellow on top, blue at the front and red on the right. Follow any written instructions for rotating the whole cube.
0 / 6
Loading 3D cube…
Prepared position · 0 / 6 moves
Use Next move to follow the sequence.
Drag to inspect other faces. Use the arrow keys to rotate the view when the cube has keyboard focus.
Copy this exact example on your own cube
Start with a solved 4×4, with yellow up and blue at the front. Apply the setup below from left to right to create the example’s starting position. Keep this example separate from the scramble you’re solving throughout the course.
R U R' F2 D L2 B U2 Rw U FwThen follow the lesson sequence. If your cube has a different colour scheme, use the relationships between your own colours to identify the equivalent pieces.
Compare the starting position and the result
Drag each cube to inspect its other faces.
Explain it to yourself
Check your understanding
Now use your own cube
Your turn
Perform each move and then its inverse. Use a finger to count the layers before each turn in the drill (R, Rw, 2R).
Open a 4×4 Digital Cube for practiceOpens in a new tab so you can keep this lesson open while you practise. Check for yourself whether you’ve met the lesson goal. The Digital Cube doesn’t assess your result.
If you get stuck
My centres get scrambled when I follow the parity algorithm.
Check which layers to turn first. R, Rw and 2R are different moves. For x, rotate the whole cube, then use the new face directions.
Before moving on
Check your result
Preparation · no solving yet
Return to the same scramble
Each practice move is undone as you learn outer, inner and wide turns. The cube stays scrambled. You’ll start solving the centres in the next lesson.
Confirm these on your cube. Watching the animation alone does not complete the lesson.
Tick each item once you can do it yourself.