WorksheetsAbout this worksheet
Roman numerals use seven letters: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000. A smaller letter after a bigger one is added (VI = 6); a smaller letter before a bigger one is subtracted (IV = 4).
What this skill is
Roman numerals are an old way of writing numbers with letters. They are still seen on clock faces, for class and chapter numbers, on monuments and in the names of kings and queens. There is no zero and no place value: you add the worth of the letters, except where a smaller letter stands before a bigger one and is taken away.
A worked example
Write 1994 in Roman numerals. Break it by place first.
- 1000 = M
- 900 = CM (100 before 1,000)
- 90 = XC (10 before 100)
- 4 = IV (1 before 5)
Join them: MCMXCIV.
Reading the other way, XLVII: XL is 40, V is 5 and II is 2, so the number is 47.
Tips for parents and teachers
- A letter is repeated at most three times: III is 3, but 4 is IV, not IIII.
- V, L and D are never repeated and never subtracted.
- Only I, X and C are used for subtracting: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM.
How to use this sheet at home and in class
- At home: start with "Numbers up to 20". Those are the ones on clocks and in class names, and they hold all the rules.
- In class: let children write today's date, their class and their roll number in Roman numerals before the sheet.
- For bigger numbers, always split into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones first. Each part is then a small, known piece.
Mistakes to watch for
- Writing four of the same letter: IIII for 4 or XXXX for 40.
- Subtracting letters that may not be subtracted: IL for 49 or IC for 99. The right forms are XLIX and XCIX.
- Reading a pair such as IX as 11. A smaller letter in front is taken away: IX is 9, XI is 11.
What to try next
- Number names worksheets: numbers in words.
- Place value worksheets: why our own system is easier.
- Telling time worksheets: clock faces often use Roman numerals.