The seven Roman numerals
| Letter | Value | Letter | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | C | 100 |
| V | 5 | D | 500 |
| X | 10 | M | 1,000 |
| L | 50 |
How Roman numerals work
You build a number from the largest values to the smallest and add them up. So VIII is 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 8, and CLX is 100 + 50 + 10 = 160.
The one twist is subtraction. When a smaller letter comes before a bigger one, you take it away instead. That's why 4 is IV (5 − 1) rather than IIII, and 9 is IX (10 − 1). Only six pairs are used this way:
| Pair | Value |
|---|---|
| IV | 4 |
| IX | 9 |
| XL | 40 |
| XC | 90 |
| CD | 400 |
| CM | 900 |
The other rule is that a letter is never repeated more than three times in a row. So 30 is XXX, but 40 has to be XL.
The easiest way to write any number is to split it into thousands, hundreds, tens and units, convert each part, and put them side by side. The calculator shows this split for you.
Worked examples
1984 in Roman numerals
1000 = M, 900 = CM, 80 = LXXX, 4 = IV. Put together: MCMLXXXIV.
49 in Roman numerals
Split it into 40 and 9: XL + IX = XLIX. It's tempting to write IL (50 − 1), but that isn't allowed: I can only be taken away from V and X.
What is MMXXVI?
MM = 2000, XX = 20, VI = 6, so 2026.
Years in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numerals | Year | Roman numerals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | MCMXC | 2020 | MMXX |
| 1995 | MCMXCV | 2024 | MMXXIV |
| 1999 | MCMXCIX | 2025 | MMXXV |
| 2000 | MM | 2026 | MMXXVI |
| 2010 | MMX | 2027 | MMXXVII |
| 2015 | MMXV | 2030 | MMXXX |
Where you still see Roman numerals
- Kings and queens: Charles III, Elizabeth II, Henry VIII.
- Clock faces: many use IIII instead of IV for 4. It's a long-standing tradition for balance on the dial, not a mistake.
- Film and TV credits: copyright years such as MMXXVI are written at the end of programmes.
- Book chapters, prefaces and page numbers in lower case: i, ii, iii, iv.
- Tattoos and engravings: wedding dates and birth years. Double-check them here before they're made permanent, and agree the date order first: the UK writes day, month, year, while the US puts the month first.
Frequently asked questions
What is 2026 in Roman numerals?
2026 is MMXXVI. MM is 2000, XX is 20 and VI is 6.
Why is 4 written as IV?
When a smaller numeral comes before a larger one it is subtracted, so IV means 5 minus 1. Some clock faces use IIII instead, which is a tradition rather than the standard form.
What is the biggest Roman numeral?
Using the standard letters, the largest number you can write is 3999, which is MMMCMXCIX. Bigger numbers were written with a bar over a letter to multiply it by 1,000.
Is there a Roman numeral for zero?
No. The Romans had no symbol for zero, so Roman numerals start at 1.
How do I write my birth year in Roman numerals?
Type the year into the first box. For example, 1985 is MCMLXXXV and 2001 is MMI.
Last reviewed October 2026. This tool is for guidance only.