6 in Roman Numerals = VI
6 in Roman numerals is VI. It is five plus one, with the I placed after the V so that it adds rather than subtracts.
What is 6 in Roman numerals?
VI is V (5) + I (1). Reading left to right, largest first, you start at five and add one.
VI and IV use exactly the same two letters. Only the order differs, and the order is what decides whether the I is added or taken away.
How VI is formed
Reading left to right, 6 breaks into these additive parts. Each Roman symbol is added in turn to reach the total.
V + I = 5 + 1 = 6.
Why 6 is written VI
Six is the cleanest demonstration of the positional rule in the whole system. IV is four and VI is six, from the same two characters, because a smaller symbol before a larger one is subtracted and a smaller symbol after a larger one is added. If that pair makes sense, the rest of Roman numerals follows.
Where 6 in Roman numerals is used
- Clock and watch dials: Six o'clock sits at the bottom of the dial as VI, directly opposite the XII, and on many designs it is the numeral replaced by a sub-seconds dial.
- Regnal and papal names: George VI reigned through the Second World War, and Paul VI is the twentieth-century papal example, both read aloud as the Sixth.
- Chapters and acts: Chapter VI turns up constantly in older editions, where chapters were numbered in Roman form as a matter of course.
- Super Bowl VI: Played in January 1972, one of the run of early games whose numerals are now more familiar than their dates.
Common mistakes writing 6 in Roman numerals
- IV is wrong. Same letters, opposite meaning. IV is four; putting the I after the V gives six.
- IIIIII is wrong. Six strokes breaks the three-repeat limit. Once you pass three, the five symbol has to do the work.
Good to know about 6
- On a clock or watch face, 6 o'clock is shown as VI.
- Super Bowl VI was played in 1972; the NFL numbers its championship in Roman numerals (with the one-off exception of Super Bowl 50).
Convert another number
6 is written VI in Roman numerals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 6 in Roman numerals?
Write 6 as VI, combining V + I. Start from the largest value that fits and work down until nothing is left over.
Is VI the 6 you see on a clock?
Yes. 6 o'clock is written VI 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 VI?
Super Bowl VI is the 6th Super Bowl, played in 1972. The NFL sets its championship number in Roman numerals, which is why so many people look up values like VI.
What number is VI?
VI is 6. Read the symbols left to right, treat any smaller-before-larger pair as a single subtraction, and add the groups together.
Related conversions
- 60 in Roman numerals is LX, the same digit one place value up.
- 600 in Roman numerals is DC, the same digit two place values up.
- 12 in Roman numerals is XII, double 6.
- 7 in Roman numerals is VII, one more than 6.
- 5 in Roman numerals is V, one less than 6.