Roman Numeral Converter

Convert numbers to Roman numerals and Roman numerals back to numbers with canonical validation and a clear symbol-by-symbol breakdown.

Number to Roman Roman to Number Canonical Validation
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Conversion direction

Supported range

Supports positive whole numbers up to 999,999. Values above 3,999 use repeated M notation.

Input

Preview

Reference chart

I
1
V
5
X
10
L
50
C
100
D
500
M
1000

Subtractive pairs use a smaller symbol before a larger one, such as IV for 4 and CM for 900.

Quick load:

Converting numerals...

Enter a number or Roman numeral to convert

The result will show the canonical numeral, decimal value, and symbol-by-symbol breakdown.

1999 → M + CM + XC + IX → MCMXCIX M CM XC IX 1000 900 90 9 Subtractive pairs are highlighted as two-letter chunks.

Roman numeral rules

How the Roman numeral converter works

This Roman numeral converter changes a whole number into standard Roman notation and converts a Roman numeral to number form. It uses canonical subtractive notation, so 4 is IV, 9 is IX, 40 is XL, 90 is XC, 400 is CD, and 900 is CM.

The calculator supports positive whole numbers up to 999,999. Traditional Roman numerals are usually taught up to 3,999; larger values here use repeated M notation because overline notation is not universally typed or displayed the same way online.

I
1
V
5
X
10
L
50
C
100
D
500
M
1000

Canonical notation diagram

Subtractive notation puts a smaller symbol before a larger symbol to make values such as 4, 9, 40, and 900.

Subtractive pairs IV IX CM 5 - 1 = 4 10 - 1 = 9 1000 - 100 = 900 IIII and VIIII are rejected because IV and IX are canonical.

MCMXCIX breakdown

The converter groups Roman numerals into the largest valid chunks, then adds their decimal values.

MCMXCIX = 1000 + 900 + 90 + 9 M CM XC IX 1000 900 90 9 Total: 1999

FAQ

What numbers can Roman numerals represent in this converter?

This tool supports positive whole numbers from 1 to 999,999. Numbers above 3,999 use repeated M notation.

Why does the converter reject IIII?

Standard canonical notation uses IV for 4. Some clocks use IIII, but this Roman numeral converter returns canonical historical math notation.

Can I convert Roman numeral to number form?

Yes. Choose Roman to number, enter a canonical Roman numeral such as MCMXCIX, and the converter returns the decimal value and breakdown.