Roman Numerals Chart & Converter
Convert numbers, years and dates to Roman numerals and back, with 1–100 and 1900–2100 charts and the rules explained.
Roman Numerals Chart
Roman numeral symbols and key values#
Seven symbols (I V X L C D M) plus six subtractive pairs (IV IX XL XC CD CM) are all you need for any number from 1 to 3,999. Write each decimal place on its own, largest first: 2026 = MM + XX + VI.
Roman numerals 1 to 100#
Hundreds and thousands#
Above 3,999: the vinculum (overline ×1000)#
Not part of the standard system and not used consistently even by the Romans; shown so you can read it.
Years in Roman numerals, 1900–2100#
Common mistakes#
| Wrong | Right | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIII | IV | 4 | Four repeats; use subtraction. (IIII is still traditional on clock faces.) |
| MIM | MCMXCIX | 1,999 | I may only be subtracted from V and X. Write each place value separately: M + CM + XC + IX. |
| IC | XCIX | 99 | Same rule: 90 is XC and 9 is IX. |
| IL | XLIX | 49 | 40 is XL, 9 is IX. |
| VX | V | 5 | V, L and D are never subtracted. |
| XM | CMXC | 990 | X may only be subtracted from L and C. |
| IIX | VIII | 8 | Only one smaller numeral may stand before a larger one. |
| LL | C | 100 | V, L and D are never repeated. |
| MMMM | I̅V̅ (vinculum) | 4,000 | Beyond the standard range; the overline notation is needed. |
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Roman numerals write numbers with seven letters, I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500) and M (1000), added together from largest to smallest, with a smaller numeral placed before a larger one to subtract it. 2026 in Roman numerals is MMXXVI (2000 + 20 + 6); 1999 is MCMXCIX. This converter works in both directions in one box: type a number to get the numeral, or type a numeral to get the number.
It also checks numerals you have seen or are about to use. Type IIII, MIM or IC and it tells you what they add up to, why they are not standard, and what the standard form is, which matters before you engrave, tattoo or print one. The charts cover 1–100, the key values, hundreds and thousands, and every year from 1900 to 2100. Standard numerals stop at 3,999; larger numbers need an overline (the vinculum), which you can switch on and which is marked as a historical convention rather than a rule.
How to use
- Type a whole number (1 to 3,999) to get the Roman numeral, or type a Roman numeral to get the number.
- If the numeral is not standard, read the explanation and copy the corrected form.
- Tick “Allow vinculum” to convert numbers from 4,000 to 3,999,999 with overline notation.
- For a date, pick it in the date converter, choose the order (US month-day-year or day-month-year) and separator, then copy.
- Use the charts below for quick lookups, or print the 1900–2100 year table.
Frequently asked questions
What is 2026 in Roman numerals?
2026 is MMXXVI: MM for 2000, XX for 20 and VI for 6. Each decimal place is written separately, largest first, so the thousands, tens and units simply follow one another.
What are the rules for writing Roman numerals?
Write the value of each decimal place from left to right using I, V, X, L, C, D and M. A symbol can repeat up to three times (III = 3, XXX = 30). To make 4 and 9 of each place, put one smaller symbol before a larger one: IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400), CM (900). Only I, X and C are used to subtract, only from the next two larger symbols, and V, L and D are never repeated or subtracted.
Why do clocks use IIII instead of IV?
It is a long-standing clockmakers’ tradition rather than a mistake; most clock faces with Roman numerals use IIII for four o’clock, with Big Ben a well-known exception that uses IV. Several explanations are offered, such as visual balance with VIII on the opposite side, but none is proven. Outside clock faces, IV is the standard form.
What is the largest number in Roman numerals?
In standard notation, 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX), because M can repeat only three times. Larger numbers were written with a vinculum, a line over a numeral that multiplies it by 1,000, so V̅ is 5,000 and M̅ is 1,000,000. That system was never applied consistently, so this converter only uses it when you switch it on.
Is 1999 written MIM or MCMXCIX?
MCMXCIX. MIM looks shorter, but I may only be subtracted from V and X, so the standard form writes each place separately: M (1000) + CM (900) + XC (90) + IX (9). Typing MIM into the converter shows that it adds up to 1999 and is not standard.
Is there a zero in Roman numerals?
No. Roman numerals have no symbol for zero and no negative numbers. In tables for calculating the date of Easter from around AD 725, Bede or one of his colleagues wrote N (for nulla, “none”) where a zero result was needed, but that never became part of the numeral system.
How to read any Roman numeral in a few seconds
Scan from left to right and look for a smaller symbol directly before a larger one. Each such pair is one subtractive unit (CM = 900, XC = 90, IV = 4); everything else is simply added. MCMLXXXIV splits into M | CM | L | XXX | IV = 1000 + 900 + 50 + 30 + 4 = 1984.
A quicker method for standard numerals: the groups always appear in the order thousands, hundreds, tens, units, and each group is one of only ten patterns. For tens these are X, XX, XXX, XL, L, LX, LXX, LXXX, XC; hundreds and units follow the same pattern with C/D/M and I/V/X. Once you can spot those three-symbol families, film credits and building cornerstones read like ordinary numbers.
Where Roman numerals are still used, and the conventions that go with them
• Years in film and TV credits, on buildings and on monuments, usually in capitals: MMXXVI.
• Monarchs, popes and generations of a name: Elizabeth II, Henry VIII, John Smith III. The number follows the name without a comma.
• Book front matter, outlines and legal clauses, usually in lowercase: page iv, clause (ii). Tick “Lowercase” in the converter for this.
• Clock and watch faces, where IIII is traditional for four.
• Sporting events and sequels: the Super Bowl uses Roman numerals, except Super Bowl 50 in 2016, which used Arabic numerals because “L” on its own was felt to be unappealing.
Unicode also has dedicated Roman numeral characters (Ⅰ to Ⅻ and others, U+2160–U+2188) for East Asian typesetting where a numeral must fit in one character cell. For normal text, use the plain letters I, V, X, L, C, D and M: they are searchable and read correctly by screen readers. The converter accepts both.
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