10 in Roman Numerals = X
10 in Roman numerals is X. It is a single base symbol, the anchor of the tens place, written with one character.
What is 10 in Roman numerals?
X is one of the seven symbols, worth ten outright. Nothing is added and nothing is subtracted.
It anchors everything from XI up to the high nineties: X repeats up to XXX for thirty, and then the subtractive XL takes over at forty.
How X is formed
Reading left to right, 10 breaks into these additive parts. Each Roman symbol is added in turn to reach the total.
X = 10 = 10.
Why 10 is written X
X does for the tens what I does for the units. Every numeral between 10 and 39 is just X repeated with a unit tail, which is why the tens are the easiest place value to read at a glance. It is also the symbol that IX borrows from below and that XL and XC borrow from above.
Where 10 in Roman numerals is used
- Clock and watch dials: Ten o'clock is X, one of only two numerals on a dial that is a single character (the other is V).
- Software versions: Apple's Mac OS X took its name from the Roman numeral for its tenth major release and was pronounced ten rather than ex, which is why the numeral kept appearing in product names long afterwards.
- Regnal names: Louis X of France, who reigned in the early fourteenth century, gives the numeral a rare royal outing between the far better known Louis IX and Louis XI.
- Super Bowl X: Played in January 1976, the second Pittsburgh Steelers championship and the first game whose numeral is a single letter.
Common mistakes writing 10 in Roman numerals
- VV is wrong. V never repeats. Two fives are written as the next symbol up, X.
- IIIIIIIIII is wrong. Ten strokes is what the symbol X exists to replace. Repetition stops at three.
Good to know about 10
- On a clock or watch face, 10 o'clock is shown as X.
- Super Bowl X was played in 1976; the NFL numbers its championship in Roman numerals (with the one-off exception of Super Bowl 50).
Convert another number
10 is written X in Roman numerals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 10 in Roman numerals?
Write 10 as X, combining X. Start from the largest value that fits and work down until nothing is left over.
Is X the 10 you see on a clock?
Yes. 10 o'clock is written X on Roman-numeral clock and watch faces, with the one quirk that many dials print four as IIII rather than IV out of tradition.
Which Super Bowl is X?
Super Bowl X is the 10th Super Bowl, played in 1976. The NFL sets its championship number in Roman numerals, which is why so many people look up values like X.
How is X broken down?
X breaks down as X (10), so X = 10 = 10.
Related conversions
- 100 in Roman numerals is C, the same digit one place value up.
- 1000 in Roman numerals is M, the same digit two place values up.
- 20 in Roman numerals is XX, double 10.
- 11 in Roman numerals is XI, one more than 10.
- 9 in Roman numerals is IX, one less than 10.