What is Wave B in Elliott Wave?
Wave B is the second wave in a 3-wave corrective structure (A-B-C). It moves against Wave A — meaning it temporarily resumes the prior trend direction. Wave B is the most deceptive corrective wave, often trapping traders who think the prior trend has restarted.
Full Explanation
Wave B is the counter-rally inside a correction. After Wave A pulls back against the prior impulse, Wave B retraces part of Wave A in the original trend direction. In an uptrend correction, Wave B goes up; in a downtrend correction, Wave B goes down. Wave B is famously deceptive — it looks like the prior trend has resumed, which traps traders into buying (or selling) just before Wave C completes the correction. The depth of Wave B varies by correction type: in a zigzag it retraces less than 100% of Wave A; in a flat it can retrace 90%-100% (sometimes more); in a triangle it forms the second leg of a contracting pattern. Identifying Wave B correctly often requires waiting for Wave C to begin — only then does the structure become clear.
- → Elliott Wave Theory Guide — the 5-3 pattern, rules, Fibonacci, wave degrees
- → How to Count Elliott Waves — 6-step process used on 108 instruments
- → Elliott Wave Fibonacci Guide — the 7 core ratios and how they're applied
- → Rules and Guidelines — the 3 absolute rules + 7 guidelines
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