4 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- IV
- Lowercase
- iv
- Letters
- 2
- Parts
- IV
- Subtractive pairs
- IV
- In words
- four
- Latin name
- quattuor
How IV is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 4 separately and joining the pieces gives IV:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ones | 4 | 4 | IV |
Reading it back, left to right:
- IV = 4 (V minus I) → running total 4
The rules IV follows
- Largest to smallest. IV uses the symbols I and V (2 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- Subtraction. IV (4) is a subtractive pair: a smaller symbol in front of a larger one is taken away from it. Only six pairs are allowed — IV, IX, XL, XC, CD and CM — and IV uses one of them.
- No repeats. Every symbol in IV appears once in a row, which is why the numeral stays short.
Common mistakes when writing 4
- IIII — wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 4 is written IV (clock faces are the famous exception, where IIII is common). The correct form is IV.
Clockmakers have long used IIII for four o’clock. It balances the VIII on the opposite side of the dial, and it is accepted on clocks and watches even though IV is the standard form everywhere else.
Where you will see IV
- Clock and watch faces. IV marks the 4 o’clock position, though many dials print IIII instead.
- The U.S. Constitution. Amendments are often cited in Roman numerals: Amendment IV protects against unreasonable searches and seizures (part of the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791).
- The modern Summer Games. They are officially numbered by Olympiad; the Games of the IV Olympiad belong to 1908: London.
- Championship games. Pro football numbers its championship game with Roman numerals, starting from game I in January 1967. Game IV was played in early 1970.
- A single character. Unicode has a dedicated symbol for IV: Ⅳ (U+2163), mainly so East Asian text can set the numeral in one character cell. For ordinary writing, use the plain letters.
- Lists and outlines. Book chapters, acts of a play, outline headings and the preface pages of many books (in lowercase: iv) are numbered this way.
Numbers near 4 in Roman numerals
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 4 in Roman numerals?
4 is written IV. It is a single symbol worth 4.
Is IIII a correct way to write 4?
No. IIII is wrong because standard numerals never repeat a symbol four times; 4 is written IV (clock faces are the famous exception, where IIII is common). The standard numeral for 4 is IV.
What is 4 in Latin?
The Latin cardinal number 4 is “quattuor.” The Romans wrote it as IV.
What is IV plus one?
IV + I = V (5). Adding one can change the whole ending of a numeral, which is why it helps to convert to digits, add, and convert back.