14 in Roman Numerals = XIV

XIV is X (10) + IV (4). Read the IV as one unit worth four, not as an I and a V separately.

The X at the front is added. The V at the end is the symbol the I is subtracted from. Splitting the numeral as X and IV rather than X, I, V is what makes it readable.

How XIV is formed

Reading left to right, 14 breaks into these additive parts. Each Roman symbol is added in turn to reach the total.

X10

IV4

X + IV = 10 + 4 = 14.

Why 14 is written XIV

Fourteen is the first teen where the tail turns subtractive, and it is the point at which people who have been reading numerals letter by letter start getting wrong answers. Group the numeral before you add it: X, then IV. That habit is what carries you through XIX, XL and beyond.

Where 14 in Roman numerals is used

Regnal names: Louis XIV of France, the Sun King, reigned from 1643 to 1715, the longest reign of any European sovereign, which makes XIV one of the most frequently written regnal numerals in history.
Clock dials that number the outer track: Twenty-four-hour and military-style dials number the outer ring past twelve, so XIV appears on the second time around as the two o'clock position.
Chapters and acts: Chapter XIV is where a numbered contents page in Roman form starts costing the typesetter real width, four characters where Arabic needs two.
Super Bowl XIV: Played in January 1980, the fourth and final Pittsburgh Steelers championship of the 1970s.

Common mistakes writing 14 in Roman numerals

XIIII is wrong. The additive form, still printed on some traditional clock dials, but it needs four repeated strokes and is not standard.
VIX is wrong. Reading the letters in the wrong groups. There is no subtract-from-a-pair rule, and VIX is not a valid numeral in any reading.

Good to know about 14

Super Bowl XIV was played in 1980; the NFL numbers its championship in Roman numerals (with the one-off exception of Super Bowl 50).

Convert another number

Frequently asked questions

How do you write 14 in Roman numerals?

Write 14 as XIV, combining X + IV. Start from the largest value that fits and work down until nothing is left over.

Why is 14 not written XIIII?

XIV uses the subtractive rule: a smaller symbol placed before a larger one is taken away, so you never repeat a symbol four times. XIIII breaks that rule, which is why XIV is the only correct form.

Which Super Bowl is XIV?

Super Bowl XIV is the 14th Super Bowl, played in 1980. The NFL sets its championship number in Roman numerals, which is why so many people look up values like XIV.

What are 13 and 15 in Roman numerals?

13 is XIII and 15 is XV. Neighbouring numbers often change length in surprising ways, which is why each has its own page.