Roman numeral converter
Convert numbers to Roman numerals and back, from 1 to 3,999,999, with strict validation, the vinculum overline convention explained and a reference chart.
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2,026 in Roman numerals
MMXXVI
| Symbol | Worth | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| M | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| M | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| X | 10 | 2,010 |
| X | 10 | 2,020 |
| V | 5 | 2,025 |
| I | 1 | 2,026 |
| Symbol | Value | With a vinculum (×1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | 1,000 |
| V | 5 | 5,000 |
| X | 10 | 10,000 |
| L | 50 | 50,000 |
| C | 100 | 100,000 |
| D | 500 | 500,000 |
| M | 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
- Subtractive pairs
- IV = 4, IX = 9, XL = 40, XC = 90, CD = 400, CM = 900
- Never repeated more than three times
- I, X, C, M
- Never repeated at all
- V, L, D
| Number | Roman numeral |
|---|---|
| 1 | I |
| 2 | II |
| 3 | III |
| 4 | IV |
| 5 | V |
| 6 | VI |
| 7 | VII |
| 8 | VIII |
| 9 | IX |
| 10 | X |
| 20 | XX |
| 30 | XXX |
| 40 | XL |
| 50 | L |
| 60 | LX |
| 70 | LXX |
| 80 | LXXX |
| 90 | XC |
| 100 | C |
| 200 | CC |
| 300 | CCC |
| 400 | CD |
| 500 | D |
| 600 | DC |
| 700 | DCC |
| 800 | DCCC |
| 900 | CM |
| 1,000 | M |
| 2,000 | MM |
| 3,000 | MMM |
| 4,000 | IV((IV)) |
| 5,000 | V((V)) |
| 10,000 | X((X)) |
How to use the converter
- Number → Roman — type any whole number from 1 to 3,999,999. The result appears with the correct overline for values above 3,999, plus an ASCII-safe version in parentheses you can paste anywhere.
- Roman → Number — type or paste a numeral. Overlines, macrons and the (MMM) parenthesis convention are all understood, and anything non-standard is explained rather than silently accepted.
Both directions show a step table so you can see exactly which symbol contributed what.
The seven symbols
| Symbol | Value | Origin of the letter |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | A single tally mark |
| V | 5 | An open hand — five fingers |
| X | 10 | Two hands, or a crossed tally |
| L | 50 | An adapted Etruscan character |
| C | 100 | Latin centum |
| D | 500 | Half of the old symbol for 1,000 |
| M | 1000 | Latin mille |
The rules of standard notation
- Add left to right. Symbols are written from largest to smallest and their values are added: MCLXVI = 1,000 + 100 + 50 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 1,166.
- Subtract when a smaller symbol comes first. Only six pairs are valid: IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400) and CM (900). I can precede only V and X, X only L and C, C only D and M.
- I, X, C and M repeat at most three times. IIII becomes IV; XXXX becomes XL.
- V, L and D never repeat. VV would be X, so it is never written.
- There is no zero and there are no fractions. The Romans wrote fractions with a separate duodecimal system of dots and symbols, and used the word nulla for nothing.
The converter enforces all of this. Type IIX and it tells you the standard spelling is VIII rather than quietly returning 8.
Numbers above 3,999: the vinculum
With M as the largest symbol, plain notation stops at MMMCMXCIX (3,999). Beyond that, Roman practice drew a bar — a vinculum — over a numeral to multiply it by 1,000:
| Value | With an overline | ASCII form |
|---|---|---|
| 4,000 | IV | (IV) |
| 5,000 | V | (V) |
| 10,000 | X | (X) |
| 50,000 | L | (L) |
| 100,000 | C | (C) |
| 1,000,000 | M | (M) |
| 3,999,999 | MMMCMXCIXCMXCIX | (MMMCMXCIX)CMXCIX |
Because a bar is easily lost in plain text, email and code, the same value is commonly written with parentheses instead. This converter produces both and accepts both. 3,999,999 is the practical ceiling of the single-bar system — a double bar for millions existed but was never standardised.
Years in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Year | Roman numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | MCM | 2000 | MM |
| 1969 | MCMLXIX | 2010 | MMX |
| 1984 | MCMLXXXIV | 2020 | MMXX |
| 1990 | MCMXC | 2024 | MMXXIV |
| 1999 | MCMXCIX | 2025 | MMXXV |
| 2001 | MMI | 2026 | MMXXVI |
A date is usually written by converting the whole year as one number, which is why film copyright lines and building cornerstones read MCMLXXXIV rather than a digit-by-digit rendering.
Where Roman numerals are still used
- Clock and watch faces — where IIII for 4 survives as a design tradition, not correct notation
- Book front matter, chapter and act numbers, and legal outline levels
- Monarchs, popes and dynastic names — Elizabeth II, Louis XIV
- Super Bowls, Olympiads and other numbered events
- Film and television copyright dates, historically to make the year less obvious at a glance
- Building cornerstones, monuments and memorial inscriptions
Reading a numeral quickly
Work left to right and compare each symbol with the one after it. If it is greater than or equal to the next, add it; if it is smaller, subtract it. MCMXCIV: M (add 1,000), C before M (subtract 100), M (add 1,000), X before C (subtract 10), C (add 100), I before V (subtract 1), V (add 5) → 1,000 + 900 + 90 + 4 = 1,994.
Privacy
The conversion runs in your browser as you type. Nothing is submitted anywhere.
Questions
How do Roman numerals go above 3,999?
With a vinculum — a bar drawn over a numeral to multiply it by 1,000. So V with a bar is 5,000 and MMM with a bar is 3,000,000. Because plain text loses the bar, the same value is often written in parentheses, e.g. (MMM)CMXCIX, and this converter accepts both.
Why is 4 written IV and not IIII?
Standard subtractive notation places a smaller symbol before a larger one to mean "one less". I, X and C may each be repeated at most three times, so IIII is replaced by IV. IIII does appear on clock faces, which is a stylistic tradition rather than correct notation.
Is there a Roman numeral for zero?
No. The system has no zero and no negative numbers — it was built for counting and recording quantities, not for arithmetic. Medieval scribes wrote the word "nulla" when they needed to express nothing.
What is 2026 in Roman numerals?
MMXXVI: two thousands (MM), two tens (XX), a five (V) and a one (I). Type any year into the converter and the step table shows how each symbol adds up.