5 in Roman Numerals = V
5 in Roman numerals is V. It is one of the seven base symbols, so it is written as a single letter with nothing added or taken away.
What is 5 in Roman numerals?
V is a symbol in its own right, worth five. It never repeats: ten is X, not VV.
V is the hinge of the single digits. Four leans on it from below as IV, and six, seven and eight are built on top of it as VI, VII and VIII.
How V is formed
Reading left to right, 5 breaks into these additive parts. Each Roman symbol is added in turn to reach the total.
V = 5 = 5.
Why 5 is written V
The system alternates between ones and fives at every place value: I and V, X and L, C and D. That halfway symbol is what stops each place from needing nine repeats of the same letter. It is also why V, L and D are the three symbols that never double up, since two of them would simply be the next symbol along.
Where 5 in Roman numerals is used
- Clock and watch dials: Five o'clock is V, and on most dials it is the last simple numeral before the VI at the bottom.
- Regnal names: Henry V of England is the best known, again through Shakespeare, and George V gives the numeral a twentieth-century example.
- Chapters and outlines: Roman numerals are the top level of the classic outline structure, so V is the fifth main heading before any letters or Arabic numbers appear beneath it.
- Super Bowl V: Played in January 1971, the first championship after the AFL and NFL merger took full effect.
Common mistakes writing 5 in Roman numerals
- IIIII is wrong. Five strokes would break the three-repeat limit twice over. The whole reason V exists is to stop the tally getting that long.
Good to know about 5
- On a clock or watch face, 5 o'clock is shown as V.
- Super Bowl V was played in 1971; the NFL numbers its championship in Roman numerals (with the one-off exception of Super Bowl 50).
Convert another number
5 is written V in Roman numerals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 5 in Roman numerals?
Write 5 as V, combining V. Start from the largest value that fits and work down until nothing is left over.
Is V the 5 you see on a clock?
Yes. 5 o'clock is written V 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 V?
Super Bowl V is the 5th Super Bowl, played in 1971. The NFL sets its championship number in Roman numerals, which is why so many people look up values like V.
How is V broken down?
V breaks down as V (5), so V = 5 = 5.
Related conversions
- 50 in Roman numerals is L, the same digit one place value up.
- 500 in Roman numerals is D, the same digit two place values up.
- 10 in Roman numerals is X, double 5.
- 6 in Roman numerals is VI, one more than 5.
- 4 in Roman numerals is IV, one less than 5.
- 105 in Roman numerals is CV, 5 in the hundreds.