Roman numerals write numbers with seven letters. They survive on clocks, building cornerstones, film credits, book chapters and the Super Bowl. Convert in either direction with the Roman Numeral Converter.
The seven symbols
| Symbol | Value |
|---|---|
I |
1 |
V |
5 |
X |
10 |
L |
50 |
C |
100 |
D |
500 |
M |
1000 |
Subtractive pairs
A smaller symbol written before a larger one is subtracted. Only these six pairs are valid.
| Pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
IV |
4 |
IX |
9 |
XL |
40 |
XC |
90 |
CD |
400 |
CM |
900 |
How to read one
Read left to right and add the values, subtracting any symbol that comes before a larger one. MCMXCIV is M (1000) + CM (900) + XC (90) + IV (4) = 1994. The year 2026 is MMXXVI.
Rules
- A symbol repeats at most three times in a row, so 4 is
IV, notIIII(clock faces are a traditional exception). V,LandDare never repeated or subtracted.- Only
I,XandCare subtracted, and only from the next two larger symbols. - The standard form covers 1 to 3999 (
MMMCMXCIX); there is no zero.
Numbers in words
The Number to Words Converter writes numbers as words: 1,234 becomes "one thousand two hundred thirty-four" and 1,000,000 is "one million".