Roman numeral converter
Numbers to Roman numerals, and Roman numerals back to numbers
Type in either box. The example turns 2026 into Roman numerals.
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- The number in words
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- In lower case (page numbers)
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- Letters used
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How Roman numerals work
Roman numerals use seven letters: I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500) and M (1,000). Write a number one place at a time, from the thousands down to the ones, and add the parts together. A smaller letter placed before a larger one is taken away, but only in six pairs: IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400) and CM (900).
Worked example
1994 is 1,000 + 900 + 90 + 4. That is M + CM + XC + IV, so 1994 is MCMXCIV. Going the other way, read the letters in pairs where a smaller one comes first: M (1,000), CM (900), XC (90), IV (4), which adds up to 1,994. The working line under the answer shows this split for any number you type.
Numbers this page refuses
A numeral that breaks the rules gets a plain message saying why, and the standard form if one was meant. IIII, VV, IC and MMMM are all refused, although IIII still appears on many clock faces. There is no Roman numeral for zero, for negative numbers or for fractions in everyday use.
From 4,000 up
The standard letters stop at 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX). For bigger numbers this page draws a bar over letters, which multiplies them by 1,000: V̅ is 5,000. The bar is a common convention, not a fixed rule. To type one, paste a letter followed by the combining overline character, or type the number in the Number box instead. Lower case letters, as used for page numbers, are accepted.
Roman numerals chart
Worked out by the same rules as the converter.
| Number | Roman |
|---|---|
| 1 | I |
| 2 | II |
| 3 | III |
| 4 | IV |
| 5 | V |
| 6 | VI |
| 7 | VII |
| 8 | VIII |
| 9 | IX |
| 10 | X |
| 11 | XI |
| 12 | XII |
| 14 | XIV |
| 15 | XV |
| 19 | XIX |
| 20 | XX |
| 30 | XXX |
| 40 | XL |
| 49 | XLIX |
| 50 | L |
| 90 | XC |
| 99 | XCIX |
| 100 | C |
| 400 | CD |
| 500 | D |
| 900 | CM |
| 1,000 | M |
| Year | Roman |
|---|---|
| 1990 | MCMXC |
| 1991 | MCMXCI |
| 1992 | MCMXCII |
| 1993 | MCMXCIII |
| 1994 | MCMXCIV |
| 1995 | MCMXCV |
| 1996 | MCMXCVI |
| 1997 | MCMXCVII |
| 1998 | MCMXCVIII |
| 1999 | MCMXCIX |
| 2000 | MM |
| 2020 | MMXX |
| 2021 | MMXXI |
| 2022 | MMXXII |
| 2023 | MMXXIII |
| 2024 | MMXXIV |
| 2025 | MMXXV |
| 2026 | MMXXVI |
| 2027 | MMXXVII |
| 2028 | MMXXVIII |
| 2029 | MMXXIX |
| 2030 | MMXXX |
Large numbers
| Number | Roman |
|---|---|
| 3,999 | MMMCMXCIX |
| 4,000 | IV |
| 5,000 | V |
| 10,000 | X |
| 50,000 | L |
| 100,000 | C |
| 1,000,000 | M |
Rules and sources
- The seven letters: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000.
- Standard form: write each place (thousands, hundreds, tens, ones) in turn, using six take-away pairs only: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD and CM. No letter is used more than three times in a row, and V, L and D are never repeated. The largest standard numeral is MMMCMXCIX, 3,999.
- From 4,000 to 3,999,999 this page uses the vinculum: a bar over letters multiplies them by 1,000, so V̅ is 5,000 and M̅ is 1,000,000. Romans also used other marks for big numbers, and no body sets an official rule, so this is a convention, not a standard.
- There is no Roman numeral for zero or for negative numbers.
- Source for the rules above: the Wikipedia article "Roman numerals" (sections "Standard form", "Vinculum" and "Zero"), read 15 Nov 2026. It also notes that clock faces often show IIII for 4.
Found a mistake?
Email [email protected] with the page, what you typed and what you expected. Confirmed errors are fixed and added to the check.