A glossary of some of the most common speedcubing terms and acronyms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z | 0-9

A

Algorithm An algorithm is a sequence of moves designed to achieve a particular outcome on a puzzle.
Anti-Sune The inverse of the Sune algorithm, the Anti-Sune algorithm re-orients 3 corners anticlockwise.
Ao5, Ao12, ... Most of the bragging rights within the community go to the best averages solves. An Average of 5 (Ao5) is calculated using any five consecutive solves.
AUF Adjusting "U" Face

B

Bandaged cube Puzzles which restrict the ways you can turn them by having the mechanism designed to get in the way and be annoying.
Beginner's method A beginner's method refers to Speed-solving methods designed for beginners, which often have many steps to simplify the process.
BLD Blindfolded speedcubing - refers to solving cubes blindfolded.
BLE Brooks' Last Edge. These algorithms insert an edge into your your last F2L slot and orient the corners of the last layer.
Blockbuilding Blockbuilding generally refers to inuitively solving blocks of pieces around the cube, in contrast to algorithmic speedcubing approaches.

C

Center Refers to the middle piece on each side of a Rubik's cube. For bigger cubes, it refers to the pieces with only one colour.
Centre piece A centre piece is a piece, or pieces resp., in the middle of a cube.
CFOP The most common Speed-solving method, which solves the cube in the following sequence: Cross-F2L-OLL-PLL
CLL Corners of Last Layer. These algorithms solve the corners of the last layer, as their name suggests.
CLS Corner Last Slot. CLS algorithms solve the last F2L corner and orient your last layer at the same time. They are used when the edge of your final F2L pair is already solved, and the last layer edges are oriented.
CMLL Corners of the Last Layer in a Roux solve
COLL Corners and Orientation of Last Layer. COLL algorithms are used to orient and permute the corners of your last layer at the same time.
Colour Neutrality The solver is able to create the cross on any colour, and therefore has 6 different options for cross to pick from
Colour scheme The color layout of the cube.
Commutator A sequence of moves of the form A-B-A'-B'. Example: (R' D' R) (U) (R' D R) (U')
Conjugate A sequence of moves of the form A-B-A'. Example: (R U2 R') (R' F R F') (R U2 R')
Core The center point of the entire puzzle which all pieces revolve around. It never participates in the solving process. It's purely there for functionality to hold the puzzle together.
Corner Refers to the corner pieces on the Rubik's cube, which are the pieces with three different colours.
Corner Cutting Speed cube pieces have the ability to move slightly without the whole puzzle falling apart. This ability is called corner cutting.
Corner piece Corner pieces, as the name suggests, are located at the corners of the cube.
Corner turning uzzles which have their centers on the corner and everything rotates around the corner like a Skewb.
Corner Twists Sometimes corners can twist in their place. A puzzle cannot be solved when a single corner twists in it's place
CP Corner Permutation
CPLL Corner PLL
CR Continental Record
Cross The cross generally refers to correctly solving 4 edge pieces around a center piece, to form a 'plus' or 'cross' out of the center and edge stickers.
Cube The term cube is often used in place of Twisty Puzzle even if the puzzle isn't cube shaped.
Cube notation The language we use to read and write algorithms.
Cube Rotation Rotating the cube in place without turning any of the sides. The three rotational axes used in cube notation are x y and z.
Cubelet A single cube piece is sometimes called a cubelet or cubie.
Cubing The action of solving TwistyPuzzles.
Cuboid face turning puzzles where at least one of the dimensions is different from the others like a 3x3x5 or a 2x4x6.

D

Devil's algorithm A set of moves that when applied, repeatedly if necessary, will eventually return a Rubik's Cube to a solved state regardless of the starting configuration.
Devil's number Refers to the number of moves required to solve a cube from any starting configuration using a single repeating algorithm. Devil's algorithm is the algorithm needed to achieve this task. To this day, neither man nor machine were able to calculate the devil's algorithm, or the devil’s number, for the 2x2 cube or the other larger models. These calculations result in an unimaginably large number of possibilities that, so far, could not be captured.
DNF Did not finish. You get this penalty when you don't finish the cube inspection in 15 seconds or the cube is not in solved position when you stop the timer.
DNS Did Not Start

E

Edge Refers to the edge pieces on the Rubik's cube, which have two different colours.
Edge Control Intentionally orienting last layer edges whilst solving the first two layers.
Edge piece Edge pieces are the outer pieces located between the corner pieces of a cube. A 3x3 cube, therefore, has one piece per side between the corner pieces, a 4x4 cube two pieces per side.
EG Speed-solving method for a 2x2
ELL Edges of Last Layer
EO Edge Orientation
EP Edge Permutation
EPLL Edge PLL, as in the subset of PLL algorithms that only move the edges
Extended Cross Solving the cross and one F2L pair at the same time, also referred to as 'X-Cross'

F

F2L First 2 Layers. This step involves inserting “pairs” of corners and edges into the spaces around the four edges dependent on the centres
Face A single surface of a Rubik's cube.
Fewest moves Fewest moves means you solve a speed cube in as few moves as possible.
Fingertricks Refers to any improvements to the way you actually perform the moves with your hands.
Florian Mod Cubes that are said to have a florian mod have curved corners to help the pieces to move more easily around each other.
FMC Fewest Moves Challenge
Fridrich Method Also known as CFOP, the most common Speed-solving method, which solves the cube in the following sequence: Cross-F2L-OLL-PLL

G

Gear puzzle A series of puzzles which have gears as a component of the pieces. As you turn the puzzle the gears spin.
Global average Overall average time it takes to solve a twisty puzzle.
God's number God's number, also called "God's algorithm", is the maximum number of moves needed to solve a cube, regardless of the starting configuration.

H

Half-Turn Any 180 degree turn of the Rubik's cube.
Hedgeslammer Refers to the move sequence F R' F' R

I

Inspection The time used to inspect the cube before starting a solve. In WCA competitions, the maximum inspection time is 15 seconds.
Internal edges Pieces usually found on even layered cubes.

L

Layer Refers to all of the pieces which make up one rotational side of a Rubik's cube.
LBL Layer By Layer
LL Last layer
Lock-up / locking Lock-up or locking are terms used to describe when the cube jams. When a piece, one or even multiple layers are misaligned, you won’t be able to execute the turn correctly and the cube locks up.
Look-Ahead Planning future stages of a speedsolve whilst executing moves to solve the pieces of the current stage.
LSE Last Six Edges in a Roux solve

M

M2 A blindfolded speedcubing method
MagLev MagLev is short for magnetic levitation or magnetic levitation force, respectively. Cubes with MagLev construction have in their tensioning system two superimposed magnets whose like poles face, and thus repel, each other.
Magnetic Cube Cube with magnets on the pieces which attract each other, allowing the cube to snap into alignment and less likely to lock up from misalignment.
MBLD Multi-blindfolded speedcubing - refers to solving cubes blindfolded.
Mechanism The components of a twisty puzzle that allow it to fit together and actually work.
Misscramble When a competitor gets a scrambles cube that does not match the computer generated scramble intended for that solve.
Mo3 Mean of 3
Mod Any kind of modification done to a puzzle.
Move Count The number of moves used in a Rubik's cube solve.
Multislotting Intentionally inserting F2L pairs in a manner which influences subsequent F2L pairs in your favour.

N

N by N by N Face turning puzzles with the same dimensions on all sides like a 3x3x3, 7x7x7 or 21x21x21.
Niklas The algorithm R U' L' U R' U' L, which re-orients 3 corners clockwise.
NR National Record

O

OH One-Handed speedcubing - refers to solving cubes with one hand.
OLL Orientation of Last Layer
OLLCP Orientation of Last Layer + Corner Permutation
OP Old Pochmann, a blindfolded speedcubing method
Ortega Speed-solving method for a 2x2
Overshooting Overshooting describes a rotation that goes further than desired. For example, you intend to rotate a layer by 90 degrees, but due to high speed, it overshoots and turns 180 degrees instead.

P

Parity Parity in a Speed-solving context generally refers to additional steps required to solve a puzzle in cases where there are (or appear to be) an odd number of piece swaps on a cube.
Pattern Describes specific permutations in which a puzzle looks really cool, like the checkerboard pattern or the cube in a cube pattern
PB If a speedcuber solves a puzzle faster than they have ever done before, it is known as a PB or personal best.
PBL Permutation of Both Layers, a step used in some common 2x2 methods which permute the top and bottom layer corners.
Perm Such as G-Perm. Nickname used when talking about the PLL algorithms
Permutation Describes the position a puzzle is currently in.
Petrus Method A 3x3 Speed-solving method developed by Lars Petrus which has a strong emphasis on blockbuilding.
PLL Permutation of Last Layer
Popping Since the pieces of a cube can move around it is possible for them to pop out completely. It can be caused by loose tensions, rough turning, or be result of the mechanism that is used in a specific puzzle.
PR Personal Record (official PB, in competition)

Q

Quarter Turn Any 90 degree turn of the Rubik's cube.

R

Reduction A common big cube solving method whereby the cuber solves the center pieces into place, followed by pairing up edge pieces to effectively 'reduce' the big cube to a 3x3.
Roux A 3x3 Speed-solving method developed by Gilles Roux in which 1x2x3 blocks are built on the left and right sides of the cube to begin the solve.
Rubik's Cube a puzzle in the form of a plastic cube covered with multicoloured squares, which the player attempts to twist and turn so that all the squares on each face are of the same colour.

S

Scramble A scramble is another simple term that consists of 20 randomly generated moves in standard notation that will leave the cube in an unsolved state ready for a solver to attempt
Sculpted design The term 'sculpted design' describes puzzles with a special surface.
Sexy Move Refers to the move sequence R U R' U'
Shape mod A puzzle which uses the same mechanism as a simple puzzle like a 3x3 but different shaped pieces to add complexities like shape shifting.
Shape shifting Puzzles that change shape as you scramble them.
Side A single surface of a Rubik's cube.
Sledgehammer Refers to the move sequence R' F R F'
Slice Move On a 3x3, a slice move refers to the notated moves M, E, and S.
Smart Cube Usually a 3x3 with the capability to connect to apps or a computer which allows a program to track your moves, start and stop timers, keep a log of what turns you did when you solved.
Solve Solved describes the permutation in which the puzzle is done. Almost all twisty puzzles have only one solved permutation.
Speed mod Modification of a puzzle not to change the solving process but to make the puzzle turn better.
Speedcube Twisty puzzles that are designed for speed and are suitable to be used in competitions.
Speedcubing The action of solving TwistyPuzzles as fast as possible
Stack mat A timer which requires both hands to be placed on either side of it for it to start and stop.
Sticker mod When the stickers on a puzzle are changed to something different like a shepherd cube where the stickers are arrows and you need to get all the arrows pointing the same way on all sides.
Stickered Stickered cubes usually have a monochrome (often black) interior and coloured stickers
Stickerless Stickerless cubes are made of coloured plastic pieces. This has the advantage that there are no stickers to be replaced.
Sub-X A single solve or average that is under a certain time
Sune The algorithm R U R' U R U2 R'
Super cube Puzzles which require the center pieces to be rotated correctly for the puzzle to be solved.

T

Tension Refers to the tightness or looseness of a screw in the mechanism.
Three by three A 3x3 refers to any Rubik's Cube type puzzle with the dimensions 3x3x3 produced by a company other than Rubik's.
Top First Speed-solving method for a pyraminx
Torpedos Little pieces of plastic that are on the internal part of an edge piece which connect with the corner piece to provide stability.
TPS Turns Per Second
Truncated/trimmed mean Exclude the best and the worst times and then calculate the average of the remaining ones.
Twisty Puzzle The politically correct term for Rubik's Cube type puzzle. Any three dimensional puzzle with moving parts and the goal of achieving a solved state like the same color on each side counts as a Twisty Puzzle.
Two look OLL / PLL Complete the OLL / PLL steps with two algorithms each

U

UWR Unofficial World Record

V

V First Speed-solving method for a pyraminx
VLS Valk Last Slot. VLS algorithms solve the final F2L slot and OLL at the same time, in the cases where you have a connected F2L pair.

W

WCA World Cube Association
WR World Record
WV Winter Variation. These algorithms are used to orient the corners of your last layer whilst you insert your final F2L pair, in the case where the pair is connected.

Y

Yau A big cube Speed-solving method proposed by Robert Yau, whereby the cross is solved before the cube is fully reduced to the 3x3 stage.

Z

ZBF2L Zborowski-Bruchem First 2 Layers. These algorithms solve the final F2L pair and orient the edges of the last layer to set up for ZBLL.
ZBLL Zborowski-Bruchem Last Layer. These algorithms solve the entire last layer in 1 step, when the last layer edges are oriented.
ZZ A 3x3 Speed-solving method created by Zbiginiew Zborowski in which the first step involves orienting all edges on the cube.

0-9

+2 The standard time penalty in WCA competitions, plus two seconds.
2-gen (or 3-gen or etc) An algorithm that only moves 2 faces (or 3 or etc).
2GLL 2-Generator Last Layer. These algorithms are used for the ZBLL cases which require only edge permutation and corner orientation.
2LLL 2 Look Last Layer - solving the last layer in two steps or 'looks'. For the CFOP method, this generally refers to OLL and PLL.
3-style A blindfolded speedcubing method

Acknowledgement

This glossary is based on data gathered from: