8 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- VIII
- Lowercase
- viii
- Letters
- 4
- Parts
- V · I · I · I
- Subtractive pairs
- None
- In words
- eight
- Latin name
- octo
How VIII is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 8 separately and joining the pieces gives VIII:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ones | 8 | 8 | VIII |
Reading it back, left to right:
- V = 5 → running total 5
- I = 1 → running total 6
- I = 1 → running total 7
- I = 1 → running total 8
The rules VIII follows
- Largest to smallest. VIII uses the symbols V and I (4 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- No subtraction needed. None of the digits of 8 is a 4 or a 9, so VIII is purely additive: just add the symbol values.
- Repetition. III repeats I three times. I, X, C and M may repeat up to three times in a row; V, L and D never repeat.
Where you will see VIII
- Clock and watch faces. VIII marks the 8 o’clock position.
- The U.S. Constitution. Amendments are often cited in Roman numerals: Amendment VIII bans excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment (part of the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791).
- Monarchs and popes. Regnal numbers use Roman numerals, as in Henry VIII of England, remembered for his six marriages.
- The modern Summer Games. They are officially numbered by Olympiad; the Games of the VIII Olympiad belong to 1924: Paris.
- Championship games. Pro football numbers its championship game with Roman numerals, starting from game I in January 1967. Game VIII was played in early 1974.
- A single character. Unicode has a dedicated symbol for VIII: Ⅷ (U+2167), 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: viii) are numbered this way.
Numbers near 8 in Roman numerals
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 8 in Roman numerals?
8 is written VIII. Break it into V (5), I (1), I (1), I (1) and add the parts: 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 8.
What is 8 in Latin?
The Latin cardinal number 8 is “octo.” The Romans wrote it as VIII.
What is VIII plus one?
VIII + I = IX (9). Adding one can change the whole ending of a numeral, which is why it helps to convert to digits, add, and convert back.