Roman numeral converter
Turn 2026 into MMXXVI, or read a numeral off a clock face, a film credit or a monument.
That's about the same as this year. That numeral is 6 letters long.
What it means
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Standard Roman numerals run from I to MMMCMXCIX (1 to 3,999). There is no zero and no negative.
Every unit
Your number both ways
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Three things worth knowing
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Read left to right, and subtract when it shrinks
MMXXVI is 1000+1000+10+10+5+1 = 2026. But IV is 5−1 = 4, because the smaller letter comes first.
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Tally marks that grew up
I, II, III began as notches on a stick, with V a cut for five and X a cross for ten. The letters came later, borrowed for their shape.
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IIII on clock faces
Many clocks show IIII rather than IV, for balance against VIII opposite. Strict notation says IV, which is why this converter only accepts that.
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About Roman numerals
Seven letters carry all the values: I 1, V 5, X 10, L 50, C 100, D 500, M 1000. Put a smaller letter before a bigger one and it subtracts: IV is 4, IX is 9, CM is 900.