How to convert Roman numerals
- Type a whole number from 1 to 3,999 in Number. The Roman numeral box fills in as you type, and the result shows how the numeral is built from its parts.
- To read a Roman numeral, type it in Roman numeral instead. Capital or small letters both work. If the numeral breaks a rule, the converter tells you which rule and offers the standard form, for example IV instead of IIII.
- For a date, pick it under Date in Roman numerals, choose the Order and the Separator, and copy the result with the copy button.
Roman numerals chart 1 to 100
| 1 to 25 | 26 to 50 | 51 to 75 | 76 to 100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 I | 26 XXVI | 51 LI | 76 LXXVI |
| 2 II | 27 XXVII | 52 LII | 77 LXXVII |
| 3 III | 28 XXVIII | 53 LIII | 78 LXXVIII |
| 4 IV | 29 XXIX | 54 LIV | 79 LXXIX |
| 5 V | 30 XXX | 55 LV | 80 LXXX |
| 6 VI | 31 XXXI | 56 LVI | 81 LXXXI |
| 7 VII | 32 XXXII | 57 LVII | 82 LXXXII |
| 8 VIII | 33 XXXIII | 58 LVIII | 83 LXXXIII |
| 9 IX | 34 XXXIV | 59 LIX | 84 LXXXIV |
| 10 X | 35 XXXV | 60 LX | 85 LXXXV |
| 11 XI | 36 XXXVI | 61 LXI | 86 LXXXVI |
| 12 XII | 37 XXXVII | 62 LXII | 87 LXXXVII |
| 13 XIII | 38 XXXVIII | 63 LXIII | 88 LXXXVIII |
| 14 XIV | 39 XXXIX | 64 LXIV | 89 LXXXIX |
| 15 XV | 40 XL | 65 LXV | 90 XC |
| 16 XVI | 41 XLI | 66 LXVI | 91 XCI |
| 17 XVII | 42 XLII | 67 LXVII | 92 XCII |
| 18 XVIII | 43 XLIII | 68 LXVIII | 93 XCIII |
| 19 XIX | 44 XLIV | 69 LXIX | 94 XCIV |
| 20 XX | 45 XLV | 70 LXX | 95 XCV |
| 21 XXI | 46 XLVI | 71 LXXI | 96 XCVI |
| 22 XXII | 47 XLVII | 72 LXXII | 97 XCVII |
| 23 XXIII | 48 XLVIII | 73 LXXIII | 98 XCVIII |
| 24 XXIV | 49 XLIX | 74 LXXIV | 99 XCIX |
| 25 XXV | 50 L | 75 LXXV | 100 C |
The seven Roman numeral symbols
| Symbol | I | V | X | L | C | D | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50 | 100 | 500 | 1,000 |
The rules of Roman numerals
- Add when the next symbol is equal or smaller. VI is 5 + 1 = 6, XX is 20 and CLX is 100 + 50 + 10 = 160.
- Subtract when a smaller symbol stands before a larger one. IV is 5 − 1 = 4 and XC is 100 − 10 = 90. Only six pairs are allowed: I before V and X (IV 4, IX 9), X before L and C (XL 40, XC 90), and C before D and M (CD 400, CM 900). So 99 is XCIX, not IC, and 49 is XLIX, not IL.
- No symbol more than three times in a row. 3 is III, but 4 is IV, not IIII. 30 is XXX and 40 is XL.
- V, L and D are never repeated or subtracted. 10 is X, not VV, and 95 is XCV, not VC.
- Write the largest values first, one decimal place at a time: thousands, then hundreds, then tens, then units. That is why IXI and XCX are not valid: once a place is written, it does not come back.
These are the rules of the standard form used today. The Romans themselves were less strict, and ancient inscriptions sometimes show forms such as IIII or VIIII. The converter accepts only the standard form, so every number has exactly one correct numeral.
How to write a year in Roman numerals
Split the year into thousands, hundreds, tens and units, convert each part, and join them:
- 2026 = 2000 + 20 + 6 = MM + XX + VI = MMXXVI
- 1994 = 1000 + 900 + 90 + 4 = M + CM + XC + IV = MCMXCIV
- 1999 = 1000 + 900 + 90 + 9 = M + CM + XC + IX = MCMXCIX. The shortcut MIM (1000 + 999) is not valid, because I can only be subtracted from V and X.
| Year | Roman numeral | Year | Roman numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1066 | MLXVI | 1776 | MDCCLXXVI |
| 1900 | MCM | 1984 | MCMLXXXIV |
| 1994 | MCMXCIV | 2000 | MM |
| 2010 | MMX | 2024 | MMXXIV |
| 2025 | MMXXV | 2026 | MMXXVI |
| 2027 | MMXXVII | 2030 | MMXXX |
A full date works the same way, one part at a time: 15 October 2026 is XV.X.MMXXVI written day first. Roman numerals have no leading zeros, so 5 May is simply V.V. To count the days between two dates, use the date calculator; to work out an exact age from a birth date, use the age calculator.
Roman numbers 1 to 1000 and beyond: key values
| Number | Roman numeral | Number | Roman numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | 4 | IV |
| 5 | V | 9 | IX |
| 10 | X | 14 | XIV |
| 19 | XIX | 40 | XL |
| 49 | XLIX | 50 | L |
| 90 | XC | 99 | XCIX |
| 100 | C | 400 | CD |
| 500 | D | 900 | CM |
| 999 | CMXCIX | 1,000 | M |
| 1,500 | MD | 1,999 | MCMXCIX |
| 2,000 | MM | 3,999 | MMMCMXCIX |
Why some clocks show IIII instead of IV
Many clock and watch faces use IIII for 4, a long-standing clockmakers' convention. Nobody knows for certain how it started. The usual explanations are visual balance (IIII sits opposite VIII and mirrors its weight) and plain tradition. Not every clock follows it: the dials of the Great Clock at Westminster, known as Big Ben, show IV. Both forms are understood, but IV is the standard written form.
Large numbers and the vinculum
With the standard symbols the largest number you can write is 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX), because M may appear only three times in a row. For larger numbers, a later convention draws a bar over a numeral, called a vinculum, to multiply it by 1,000: V̅ is 5,000, X̅ is 10,000 and M̅ is 1,000,000. The converter shows this form for numbers from 4,000 to 3,999,999 and marks it as non-standard, because it was never used consistently and other historical styles exist.
Where Roman numerals are used today
- Clock and watch faces, often with IIII for 4.
- Monarchs and popes: Charles III, Elizabeth II, Pope Leo XIV.
- Film and television credits, which have long given the copyright year in Roman numerals.
- Sporting events: the Super Bowl is numbered in Roman numerals, with the exception of Super Bowl 50.
- Books and documents: chapter and volume numbers, preface pages (i, ii, iii) and outline levels.
- Tattoos, rings and engravings, usually a meaningful date or year.
For a step-by-step explanation with practice examples, read the guide How to Read Roman Numerals (Chart and Rules). For another classic code, try the Morse code translator. More converters and calculators are in everyday tools.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you write 4 in Roman numerals?
4 is IV: one (I) before five (V), so 5 − 1 = 4. IIII is not the standard form, although many clock faces use it by tradition.
What is 2026 in Roman numerals?
2026 is MMXXVI: MM for 2000, XX for 20 and VI for 6. Next year, 2027, is MMXXVII.
Why is 4 sometimes IIII on clocks?
It is an old clockmaking convention. Its origin is not known for certain; visual balance with the VIII on the other side of the dial and tradition are the usual explanations. In normal writing, 4 is IV.
Is there a zero in Roman numerals?
No. The Roman system has no symbol for zero. Some medieval scholars who worked on Easter date tables wrote the word nulla ("nothing") or the letter N where a zero was needed, but it never became part of the numerals.
What is the largest Roman numeral?
In the standard form it is MMMCMXCIX, which is 3,999. Larger numbers need a bar over the numeral (vinculum), which multiplies it by 1,000, so 4,000 is written I̅V̅.
How do you write 1 to 100 in Roman numerals?
Combine the tens and the units: 10 X, 20 XX, 30 XXX, 40 XL, 50 L, 60 LX, 70 LXX, 80 LXXX, 90 XC and 100 C, then add the units I to IX. For example 47 is XL + VII = XLVII. The chart above lists every number from 1 to 100.
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