Roman Numeral Converter

What is a Roman numeral converter?

A Roman numeral converter turns ordinary numbers into Roman numerals and Roman numerals back into numbers. This one does it in a single box — type 2026 or MMXXVI and it works out which way to convert. It also shows the place-value breakdown, writes big numbers with the bar on top (up to 3,999,999), turns any date into Roman numerals for tattoos, adds and multiplies Roman numerals, and lets you practice with a quick quiz.

How to use the converter

• Convert: type a number (like 1990) or a Roman numeral (like MCMXC). Lowercase, spaces, and pasted Unicode numerals (Ⅻ) all work. Non-standard forms such as IIII are read and the standard spelling is shown. Choose capitals, lowercase, or Unicode letters, then tap Copy.
• Date: pick a day, month, and year, choose the order (US month-day-year or day-month-year) and a separator, and preview it in tattoo-style fonts. Copy the text or download a PNG for your tattoo artist.
• Calculator: add, subtract, multiply, or divide — type Roman numerals or numbers in either box.
• Practice: ten quick questions, Number → Roman, Roman → Number, or mixed, from 1–20 up to 1–3999. Your best score is saved on your device.

Roman numeral letters and their values

Roman numerals use seven letters. Every number from 1 to 3999 is written with combinations of these:

How to read Roman numerals, step by step

1. Read from left to right, starting with the biggest values.
2. If a letter is the same or bigger than the next one, add it: VI = 5 + 1 = 6.
3. If a letter is smaller than the next one, subtract it: IV = 5 − 1 = 4.
4. Group the pairs, then add everything up. Example: MCMXC = M (1000) + CM (900) + XC (90) = 1990.

How to write a number in Roman numerals

Split the number into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones, write each part, and join them. For 2026: 2000 = MM, 20 = XX, 6 = VI, so 2026 = MMXXVI. For 1984: 1000 = M, 900 = CM, 80 = LXXX, 4 = IV → MCMLXXXIV. The converter shows this breakdown under every result.

Three rules keep a numeral standard:

• I, X, C, and M can repeat up to three times in a row (III = 3, XXX = 30); V, L, and D never repeat.
• Only I, X, and C are used to subtract, and only from the next two letters up: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM. So 99 is XCIX, not IC.
• Bigger values always come first, except for those six subtractive pairs.

Roman numerals chart

Every number from 1 to 100, plus the tens, hundreds, and thousands — handy for homework, chapter numbers, and outlines.

Years in Roman numerals

Years are among the most-searched Roman numerals — for birth years, weddings, graduations, and film credits. 2026 in Roman numerals is MMXXVI, 2025 is MMXXV, and 2000 is simply MM. Years from 1990 to 2040:

Roman numeral dates and tattoos

A Roman numeral date is one of the most popular tattoos — a birthday, wedding day, or a date to remember. The three parts are written separately, usually with dots or middle dots between them:

Before you book the appointment:

• Decide on the order. II · XIV could be read as February 14 or the 2nd of the 14th month by someone used to the other style — pick the one that feels natural to you.
• Check every letter. Mistakes like IIII for 4 or IL for 49 are common in tattoos. Paste your design into the Convert tab — it flags any non-standard numeral.
• Try the fonts. Classic Roman capitals (like the Classic and Bold styles in the preview) suit short dates; thin or italic letters work well for small, delicate tattoos.
• Download the PNG and bring it to your artist so the spacing is exactly what you want.

Why do clocks use IIII instead of IV?

Many clock and watch faces show 4 as IIII rather than IV. It’s a long tradition rather than a mistake: IIII balances visually with the VIII on the other side of the dial, and it keeps the first four hours made of only I’s. Both forms have been used since Roman times, but IV is the standard today — so the converter reads IIII as 4 and tells you the standard spelling.

Large numbers: the bar over Roman numerals

Standard Roman numerals stop at 3999 (MMMCMXCIX). For bigger numbers, a bar called a vinculum is drawn over a numeral to multiply it by 1,000 — V̅ is 5,000 and X̅ is 10,000. One million is M̅ (M with a bar: 1000 × 1000). The converter writes numbers up to 3,999,999 this way, and the copied text uses a combining overline so the bar survives when you paste it.

Lowercase Roman numerals

Lowercase Roman numerals — i, ii, iii, iv, v — are used to number the front pages of books (prefaces and introductions), items in outlines and legal documents, and sub-points in lists. They mean exactly the same as capitals. Switch the converter to lowercase to copy them.

Copy and paste Roman numeral symbols

Usually you just type capital letters — I, V, X, L, C, D, and M — on any keyboard. Unicode also has special Roman numeral characters, including single-character forms of 1 to 12, which are handy for clock faces and lists:

Ⅰ Ⅱ Ⅲ Ⅳ Ⅴ Ⅵ Ⅶ Ⅷ Ⅸ Ⅹ Ⅺ Ⅻ Ⅼ Ⅽ Ⅾ Ⅿ
ⅰ ⅱ ⅲ ⅳ ⅴ ⅵ ⅶ ⅷ ⅸ ⅹ ⅺ ⅻ ⅼ ⅽ ⅾ ⅿ

Pick Unicode in the Convert tab to write any number with these characters. For normal writing, plain letters are better — they’re easier to search and read aloud.

Roman numerals that multiply to 35

A popular online password puzzle asks for Roman numerals that multiply to 35. Since 35 = 5 × 7, you can write the two numerals V and VII separately (V × VII = 35), or simply write XXXV, which is 35 on its own. An extra I counts as 1, so it doesn’t change the product. Use the Calculator tab to check other combinations — for example, X × X = C (100).

Is there a zero in Roman numerals?

No. The Roman system had no symbol for zero and no negative numbers — it was made for counting and recording amounts, not for place-value arithmetic. Medieval scholars sometimes wrote nulla (“nothing”) or N for zero. Zero as a number reached Europe later, through the Hindu–Arabic numerals we use today.

English words made of Roman numerals

Some everyday words use only the letters I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. From our English dictionary, only MIX (1009) is also a correctly written Roman numeral. The rest break the rules — but here’s what their letters add up to:

Practice reading Roman numerals

The quickest way to get fluent is a few minutes of practice. Open the Practice tab, start with 1–20, and move up to 1–100 and 1–1000 as you get faster. It’s a simple Roman numeral game for classrooms too — put it on the board and let students shout out the answers. For more number fun, try the Binary Game or the Binary Converter.

Is anything sent to a server?

No. This Roman numeral converter runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored — only your best practice score is saved, on your own device.

Credits

Tattoo preview fonts: Cinzel (© The Cinzel Project Authors) and Cormorant Garamond (© The Cormorant Project Authors), both used under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.