Maths, coding, AI & parents
The 11 nets of a cube, and how to check if a net folds into a cube
How many nets does a cube have? All 11 cube nets explained in groups, quick rules to spot shapes that won't fold, how to find opposite faces, and a free 3D game that folds every net.
A net is a flat shape that folds up into a 3D solid. A cube has six square faces, so every cube net is made of six squares joined edge to edge. There are 35 different ways to join six squares (called hexominoes), but only 11 of them fold into a cube.
The 11 nets, in three families
It is easiest to remember them by their longest straight row of squares:
| Longest row | How many nets | What they look like |
|---|---|---|
| 4 squares | 6 | A row of four, with one square above and one below (the "cross" and its cousins) |
| 3 squares | 4 | Rows of three, two and one, or two rows of three joined at a corner |
| 2 squares | 1 | The "staircase": three steps of two squares |
Rotating or flipping a net doesn't make it a new one, so these 11 are all the different cube nets.
Quick rules for shapes that won't fold
- Five or six in a row never works: the row wraps all the way round and the ends overlap.
- A 2 × 2 block never works: four squares meeting at a point can't all bend up into a cube's corner.
- Too many squares on one side: in a row-of-four net, one square must go above the row and one below. Two on the same side would land on top of each other.
Opposite faces
Once a net is folded, each face has an opposite face that it never touches.
- In a straight row of three, the first and third squares are opposite.
- Two squares that share an edge in the net are never opposite.
This is how dice are made: opposite faces of a dice always add up to 7.
Try it in 3D
Our free Cube Nets game shows each net folding up in real 3D:
- Tier 1: decide whether a shape folds into a cube, then watch it fold. Faces that overlap glow red.
- Tier 2: find the face opposite the ★.
- Tier 3: build your own nets on a grid and collect all 11.
For more 3D practice, try Block Views (plans and elevations) and the 3D shape explorer.
Common questions
How many nets does a cube have?
Exactly 11, not counting rotations and reflections as different.
How many nets does a cube not have?
Of the 35 shapes made from six squares, 24 do not fold into a cube.
What is the easiest way to check a net?
Imagine folding it around one square that stays on the table, or cut it out of paper and try. In our game you can watch it fold in 3D.
This guide is general information. For exams, follow your school, teacher and official exam board, and use your own judgement about what suits your child.