Candlestick Patterns Cheat Sheet
Bookmark this page. Below is every major candlestick and chart pattern, grouped by what it signals — bullish reversal, bearish reversal, continuation, and indecision — with a one-line description and a rough reliability note. Reliability here reflects general trader consensus and published pattern studies; treat it as a guide, not a guarantee.
Single-candle patterns
| Pattern | Signal | Meaning | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doji | Indecision | Open ≈ close; trend stalling | Context-dependent |
| Hammer | Bullish reversal | Long lower wick at a bottom | Medium-high |
| Inverted hammer | Bullish reversal | Long upper wick at a bottom | Medium |
| Shooting star | Bearish reversal | Long upper wick at a top | Medium-high |
| Hanging man | Bearish reversal | Long lower wick at a top | Medium |
| Marubozu | Continuation | Full-body candle, no wicks | Medium |
| Spinning top | Indecision | Small body, wicks both sides | Low alone |
| Dragonfly doji | Bullish reversal | Long lower wick, no upper | Medium |
| Gravestone doji | Bearish reversal | Long upper wick, no lower | Medium |
Multi-candle reversal patterns
| Pattern | Signal | Meaning | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullish engulfing | Bullish | Green candle swallows prior red | High |
| Bearish engulfing | Bearish | Red candle swallows prior green | High |
| Morning star | Bullish | Three-candle bottom reversal | High |
| Evening star | Bearish | Three-candle top reversal | High |
| Piercing line | Bullish | Green closes above red's midpoint | Medium |
| Dark cloud cover | Bearish | Red closes below green's midpoint | Medium |
| Tweezer top / bottom | Reversal | Matching highs/lows reject a level | Medium |
| Three white soldiers | Bullish | Three strong green candles | High |
| Three black crows | Bearish | Three strong red candles | High |
| Harami | Reversal | Small candle inside prior body | Medium |
Chart (multi-bar) patterns
| Pattern | Signal | Meaning | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head & shoulders | Bearish reversal | Three peaks, middle highest | High |
| Inverse head & shoulders | Bullish reversal | Three troughs, middle lowest | High |
| Double top | Bearish reversal | Two rejections of a ceiling | High |
| Double bottom | Bullish reversal | Two defenses of a floor | High |
| Triple top / bottom | Reversal | Three touches of a level | Medium-high |
| Bull flag | Bullish continuation | Rally, tight pause, break up | High |
| Bear flag | Bearish continuation | Drop, tight bounce, break down | High |
| Pennant | Continuation | Small symmetrical triangle after a move | Medium-high |
| Ascending triangle | Bullish continuation | Flat top, rising lows | Medium-high |
| Descending triangle | Bearish continuation | Flat bottom, falling highs | Medium-high |
| Symmetrical triangle | Continuation | Converging highs and lows | Medium |
| Cup & handle | Bullish continuation | Rounded base, small pullback | Medium-high |
| Rising / falling wedge | Reversal | Converging trend that flips | Medium |
| Rounding top / bottom | Reversal | Gradual momentum shift | Medium |
How to actually use a cheat sheet
A cheat sheet is a reference, not a study method. Reading this table won't make you recognize patterns live — that takes reps on unlabeled charts. Use this page to look up a pattern you've forgotten, then go drill it until you can spot it without the table.
Turn the cheat sheet into recognition
Chart Guess drills all 50+ of these patterns as a game: read the chart, call the move, reveal the pattern name. That's how a cheat sheet becomes a skill. Free on iOS and Android.