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Roman Numeral Converter and Chart — Numbers to Roman Letters and Back

Seven letters, read left to right, added up. I = 1 · V = 5 · X = 10 · L = 50 · C = 100 · D = 500 · M = 1,000. So MMXXVI is 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 2026, and MM on its own is 2000.

The one twist: a smaller letter placed before a larger one is subtracted, and only these six pairs are legal — IV =4 · IX =9 · XL =40 · XC =90 · CD =400 · CM =900. That is why 4 is IV and not IIII, and why 99 is XCIX and never IC.

Range without a bar: 1 to 3999 (I to MMMCMXCIX) · No symbol for zero · full chart 1–100 ↓ · years ↓ · what MM, MMXIV, XC mean ↓

Symbol values
I 1
V 5
X 10
L 50
C 100
D 500
M 1,000

Type a number to see its Roman numeral, or type a Roman numeral to get the number — the two fields stay in sync as you type. It handles values from 1 to 3999 (I to MMMCMXCIX), validates the notation, and shows how each result breaks down by place. Below the converter is the full chart: 1–100, the hundreds and thousands, every year up to 2030, dates, and the numerals people look up most. Everything runs in your browser.

Roman numerals chart: 1 to 100

Every numeral below is produced by the converter above at build time, so the chart and the tool can never disagree. Read down each column.

№ Roman № Roman № Roman № Roman
1 I 26 XXVI 51 LI 76 LXXVI
2 II 27 XXVII 52 LII 77 LXXVII
3 III 28 XXVIII 53 LIII 78 LXXVIII
4 IV 29 XXIX 54 LIV 79 LXXIX
5 V 30 XXX 55 LV 80 LXXX
6 VI 31 XXXI 56 LVI 81 LXXXI
7 VII 32 XXXII 57 LVII 82 LXXXII
8 VIII 33 XXXIII 58 LVIII 83 LXXXIII
9 IX 34 XXXIV 59 LIX 84 LXXXIV
10 X 35 XXXV 60 LX 85 LXXXV
11 XI 36 XXXVI 61 LXI 86 LXXXVI
12 XII 37 XXXVII 62 LXII 87 LXXXVII
13 XIII 38 XXXVIII 63 LXIII 88 LXXXVIII
14 XIV 39 XXXIX 64 LXIV 89 LXXXIX
15 XV 40 XL 65 LXV 90 XC
16 XVI 41 XLI 66 LXVI 91 XCI
17 XVII 42 XLII 67 LXVII 92 XCII
18 XVIII 43 XLIII 68 LXVIII 93 XCIII
19 XIX 44 XLIV 69 LXIX 94 XCIV
20 XX 45 XLV 70 LXX 95 XCV
21 XXI 46 XLVI 71 LXXI 96 XCVI
22 XXII 47 XLVII 72 LXXII 97 XCVII
23 XXIII 48 XLVIII 73 LXXIII 98 XCVIII
24 XXIV 49 XLIX 74 LXXIV 99 XCIX
25 XXV 50 L 75 LXXV 100 C

Hundreds and thousands

Above 100 the subtractive pairs get long: 400 is CD and 900 is CM, which is where most hand-written numerals go wrong.

Number Roman numeral
100 C
200 CC
300 CCC
400 CD
500 D
600 DC
700 DCC
800 DCCC
900 CM
1,000 M
1,500 MD
2,000 MM
2,500 MMD
3,000 MMM
3,500 MMMD
3,999 MMMCMXCIX

Years in Roman numerals

Years are the most common reason to decode a numeral at all — film copyright lines, Super Bowl logos, cornerstones and building dates.

2000–2030

Year Roman Year Roman Year Roman
2000 MM 2011 MMXI 2022 MMXXII
2001 MMI 2012 MMXII 2023 MMXXIII
2002 MMII 2013 MMXIII 2024 MMXXIV
2003 MMIII 2014 MMXIV 2025 MMXXV
2004 MMIV 2015 MMXV 2026 MMXXVI
2005 MMV 2016 MMXVI 2027 MMXXVII
2006 MMVI 2017 MMXVII 2028 MMXXVIII
2007 MMVII 2018 MMXVIII 2029 MMXXIX
2008 MMVIII 2019 MMXIX 2030 MMXXX
2009 MMIX 2020 MMXX
2010 MMX 2021 MMXXI

Twentieth-century decades

1900 MCM
1910 MCMX
1920 MCMXX
1930 MCMXXX
1940 MCMXL
1950 MCML
1960 MCMLX
1970 MCMLXX
1980 MCMLXXX
1990 MCMXC

Dates worth recognising

Year Roman numeral What it marks
1066 MLXVI Battle of Hastings
1492 MCDXCII Columbus reaches the Americas
1776 MDCCLXXVI US Declaration of Independence
1812 MDCCCXII Napoleon's march on Moscow
1861 MDCCCLXI American Civil War begins
1914 MCMXIV First World War begins
1917 MCMXVII Russian Revolution
1945 MCMXLV Second World War ends
1961 MCMLXI First human spaceflight
1969 MCMLXIX Apollo 11 Moon landing
1991 MCMXCI Soviet Union dissolved
1999 MCMXCIX Four subtractive pairs in one number

What MM, MMXIV and XC mean

The numerals people most often arrive with, decoded in reverse. The breakdown column is the same split the converter prints: thousands, then hundreds, then tens, then units.

Roman numeral Number Breakdown
II 2 II
III 3 III
IV 4 IV
VI 6 VI
IX 9 IX
XI 11 X + I
XII 12 X + II
XIV 14 X + IV
XIX 19 X + IX
XXIV 24 XX + IV
XL 40 XL
XC 90 XC
CD 400 CD
CM 900 CM
ML 1,050 M + L
MM 2,000 MM
MMX 2,010 MM + X
MMXIV 2,014 MM + X + IV
MMXVI 2,016 MM + X + VI
MMXX 2,020 MM + XX
MMXXII 2,022 MM + XX + II
MMXXIV 2,024 MM + XX + IV
MMXXVI 2,026 MM + XX + VI
MCMXCIX 1,999 M + CM + XC + IX
MMMCMXCIX 3,999 MMM + CM + XC + IX

Dates in Roman numerals

A date is not one numeral — it is three, converted separately and then joined. 4 July 1976 is IV · VII · MCMLXXVI, usually written IV.VII.MCMLXXVI. Keep a separator: run the three together and IVVIIMCMLXXVI cannot be read back, because nothing marks where one number ends. Dots, middle dots and slashes are all conventional; jewellery and tattoo work most often uses the middle dot.

Months

Month № Roman
January 1 I
February 2 II
March 3 III
April 4 IV
May 5 V
June 6 VI
July 7 VII
August 8 VIII
September 9 IX
October 10 X
November 11 XI
December 12 XII

Days run from I to XXXI — take them straight from the chart above.

Centuries

A century's numeral is always one higher than the years inside it look — the 1900s are the 20th century, XX, because the count starts at year 1 and not at year 0.

Century Roman Years
15th XV 1401–1500
16th XVI 1501–1600
17th XVII 1601–1700
18th XVIII 1701–1800
19th XIX 1801–1900
20th XX 1901–2000
21st XXI 2001–2100

Numbers above 3999

There is no letter worth more than M, so 4000 would need four M's. The classical answer is the vinculum: a bar drawn over a letter multiplies it by 1000. This converter stops at 3999 rather than guessing at a notation that no two sources write the same way — some put a bar over the whole numeral, some box it on three sides, and plain text has no agreed-on way to type it at all. The values are these:

Barred letter Value
V̅ 5,000
X̅ 10,000
L̅ 50,000
C̅ 100,000
D̅ 500,000
M̅ 1,000,000

In practice you will almost never meet one. Medieval and modern inscriptions simply keep adding M's — MMMM for 4000 — and year numerals will not need the bar again until the year 4000.

Forms the converter rejects

A numeral can be readable and still be wrong. These are the ones that come up most, with what the writer meant and the standard form.

Written Meant Correct Why it fails
IIII 4 IV Four of the same letter in a row
VIIII 9 IX Four of the same letter in a row
XXXX 40 XL Four of the same letter in a row
IC 99 XCIX Subtraction only skips one step (I before V or X, X before L or C, C before D or M)
IL 49 XLIX Subtraction only skips one step (I before V or X, X before L or C, C before D or M)
MIM 1999 MCMXCIX A smaller letter subtracted in the wrong place
VX 5 V A smaller letter subtracted in the wrong place

The one honourable exception is IIII on a clock face, where it has been standard for centuries — it balances the VIII opposite. Everywhere else, 4 is IV.

Roman numerals, Roman numbers, Roman letters

These all name the same seven characters. Roman numerals is the standard term — a numeral is the written symbol, the number is the quantity behind it, which is why “Roman numbers” is loose but perfectly understood. Roman letters is accurate too: I, V, X, L, C, D and M really are letters of the Latin alphabet doing a second job. Latin numbers is the one worth watching — outside a maths context it often means the Latin words for numbers (unus, duo, tres), not the numerals. This converter handles the numerals; for numbers spelled out as words, use the number to words converter, and for binary, octal or hexadecimal, the number base converter.

How it works

  1. 1
    Type a number or a numeral Enter a whole number from 1 to 3999 in the number box, or type a Roman numeral like MMXXIV in the other box. Lowercase letters are accepted and converted for you.
  2. 2
    Read the matching value The opposite field updates instantly. Enter 2024 and you get MMXXIV; enter MCMLXXXIV and you get 1984.
  3. 3
    Check the breakdown Below the fields you'll see how the numeral is assembled — for example MM + XX + IV — which makes it easy to learn or double-check the notation.

Your data stays private

All processing happens entirely in your browser. No files, text, or data are ever sent to our servers. You can disconnect from the internet and this tool will still work.

Frequently asked questions

What is MM in Roman numerals?
MM is 2000 — M is 1000, and two of them add up. The same pattern gives MMX = 2010, MMXIV = 2014, MMXX = 2020 and MMXXVI = 2026. ML, which looks similar, is only 1050 (1000 + 50).
How do you write a number in Roman numerals?
Break it into thousands, hundreds, tens and units, convert each part on its own, then write them left to right. 1984 is 1000 + 900 + 80 + 4 = M + CM + LXXX + IV = MCMLXXXIV. The converter shows exactly this split under the result.
What is the largest Roman numeral this supports?
3999, written MMMCMXCIX. Standard Roman numerals top out there because there's no single symbol above M (1000), so 4000 would need four M's, which the classic rules avoid. Larger numbers historically used a bar (vinculum) over a symbol to multiply it by 1000 — V̄ is 5000, X̄ is 10,000.
Why is there no Roman numeral for zero?
The Roman system is additive and had no concept of zero as a number. Scribes used the Latin word 'nulla' (none) when they needed to express nothing. That's why the converter starts at 1.
What does the subtractive rule mean?
When a smaller symbol comes before a larger one, you subtract it: IV is 4 (5 − 1), IX is 9, XL is 40, CM is 900. That's why 4 is IV rather than IIII, and the tool flags IIII as invalid. Only six pairs are allowed — IV, IX, XL, XC, CD and CM — which is why IC is not 99 and IL is not 49.
Why do clock faces show IIII instead of IV?
Because clockmakers have ignored the rule for centuries. IIII balances the VIII directly opposite it on the dial, and it keeps the first four hours built only from I. The strict form is IV, so the converter rejects IIII — but on a watch face IIII is the traditional choice, not a mistake.
Are they called Roman numerals, Roman numbers, or Roman letters?
All three describe the same seven characters — I, V, X, L, C, D and M. 'Roman numerals' is the standard term; 'Roman numbers' and 'Roman letters' are what people usually type into a search box. 'Latin numbers' is also used, since the letters come from the Latin alphabet, though in a language class it can mean the Latin words for numbers (unus, duo, tres) instead.
Can I type Roman numerals in lowercase?
Yes. Type mcmxcix and it's read as MCMXCIX (1999). The converter uppercases your input automatically and ignores stray spaces.
How do I write a date in Roman numerals?
Convert the day, the month number and the year separately, then join them — 4 July 1976 becomes IV.VII.MCMLXXVI. Monuments and jewellery usually separate the three parts with a dot, a middle dot or a slash, because running them together (IVVIIMCMLXXVI) can't be read back.
How do I write the current year in Roman numerals?
2026 is MMXXVI — two thousands (MM), twenty (XX), five (V), and one (I). Just type 2026 into the number box to confirm any year.
Why does the converter reject MIM for 1999?
Subtraction only skips one step: I may stand before V or X, X before L or C, and C before D or M. I before M is not a legal pair, so MIM has no meaning. 1999 is MCMXCIX — M + CM + XC + IX.
How do I type Roman numerals on a keyboard?
Just type the capital Latin letters I, V, X, L, C, D and M — there are no special characters involved. Unicode does have dedicated single-glyph numerals (Ⅰ Ⅱ Ⅲ Ⅳ, U+2160 onward), but plain letters are what every document, spreadsheet and search box expects.
Is the number 4 ever written IIII on purpose?
Yes — on clock and watch dials, and in a few early inscriptions written before the subtractive forms settled. Outside those two cases IIII is treated as an error, which is why the converter asks for IV.

From the blog

Roman Numerals: Rules, Chart, and Common Mistakes How to write any number in Roman numerals, the subtractive rule everyone trips on, dates and years, and the forms that look right but are not. Read the post →

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