EasyWordCounter

Roman Numeral Converter

Type a number to see it in Roman numerals, or a Roman numeral to see its value. Switch to Date to write a birthday or anniversary in Roman numerals.

Roman numeral

The conversion appears here.

Runs in your browser. Your text is never uploaded.

How the Roman numeral converter works

Seven letters do all the work: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500 and M = 1,000. Letters are written from largest to smallest and added up. To avoid four of the same letter in a row, six pairs subtract instead: IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400) and CM (900).

The converter works out which way to go from what you type: digits become a numeral and letters become a number. It reads numerals strictly, so if one is not in standard form it tells you why, such as “IC is not a valid subtraction: I can only be subtracted from V or X. 99 is written XCIX.”

Examples

NumberRoman numeralHow it breaks down
14XIV10 (X) + 4 (IV)
49XLIX40 (XL) + 9 (IX)
99XCIX90 (XC) + 9 (IX), not IC
1994MCMXCIV1000 (M) + 900 (CM) + 90 (XC) + 4 (IV)
2026MMXXVI2000 (MM) + 20 (XX) + 6 (VI)
3999MMMCMXCIXThe largest in standard form

A date such as 14 February 2015 becomes XIV.II.MMXV (day, month, year) orII.XIV.MMXV (month, day, year).

Roman numerals chart

Ones
NumberRoman numeral
1I
2II
3III
4IV
5V
6VI
7VII
8VIII
9IX
10X
Tens
NumberRoman numeral
10X
20XX
30XXX
40XL
50L
60LX
70LXX
80LXXX
90XC
100C
Hundreds and thousands
NumberRoman numeral
100C
200CC
300CCC
400CD
500D
600DC
700DCC
800DCCC
900CM
1,000M
2,000MM
3,000MMM
Years
NumberRoman numeral
1,900MCM
1,990MCMXC
1,999MCMXCIX
2,000MM
2,010MMX
2,020MMXX
2,024MMXXIV
2,025MMXXV
2,026MMXXVI
2,027MMXXVII

Common mistakes

  • IIII, XXXX, CCCC: no letter appears four times in a row. Use IV, XL and CD.
  • VV, LL, DD: V, L and D never repeat, because X, C and M already exist.
  • IC, IL, XM: I subtracts only from V and X, X only from L and C, C only from D and M. 99 is XCIX.
  • IIX: only one letter can be subtracted at a time. 8 is VIII.
  • VX, LC: V, L and D are never subtracted.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert a number to Roman numerals?
Type it in the box. Behind the scenes the number is broken into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, and each part is written with its own letters: 1994 is 1000 (M) + 900 (CM) + 90 (XC) + 4 (IV), so MCMXCIV.
Why is 4 written IV and not IIII?
Standard form never uses the same letter four times in a row. Instead, a smaller letter placed before a larger one is subtracted: IV is 5 − 1. Clock faces are the well-known exception: most show 4 as IIII, a tradition clockmakers kept for visual balance. The converter uses the standard form and explains what is wrong with IIII if you type it.
What is the largest Roman numeral?
In standard form, 3,999: MMMCMXCIX. Larger numbers were written with a bar over a letter to multiply it by 1,000, but that bar cannot be typed in plain text and is rarely used today.
Is there a Roman numeral for zero?
No. The Romans had no symbol for zero; the idea reached Europe centuries later. The converter tells you so if you type 0.
How do I write a date in Roman numerals for a tattoo?
Choose “Date to Roman numerals”, pick the date, then choose the order and separator. Each part is converted separately, so 14 February 2015 becomes XIV.II.MMXV in day-month-year order. Check the order with the person whose date it is: Americans usually write the month first.

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