Maya numerals.

Worked example

Take 2026. The places are 400, 20 and 1. 2026 = 5 × 400 + 1 × 20 + 6. From the top: 5 (one bar), 1 (one dot) and 6 (a bar with a dot above it). Another: 1000 = 2 × 400 + 10 × 20 + 0, which is two dots, two bars and a shell.

How it works

The Maya system is vigesimal (base 20) and positional. There are three symbols: a shell for zero, a dot for one and a bar for five, which together make the twenty digits 0 to 19. Numbers are written vertically in powers of twenty with the highest place at the top.

In the standard base-20 reading the places are 1, 20, 400 and 8,000. In Long Count calendar dates the third place is worth 18 × 20 = 360 rather than 400, followed by 7,200 and 144,000. The Long Count option uses those values, so its second place only goes up to 17.

The Unicode Mayan Numerals block runs from U+1D2E0 (zero) to U+1D2F3 (nineteen). Many devices have no font for it, so the digits are also drawn as shapes on this page.

Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-15): Maya numerals - Wikipedia (base-20 positional notation, dot, bar and shell, stacking order, Long Count 360, and the Unicode block U+1D2E0 to U+1D2F3).

FAQ

How do you write 2026 in Maya numerals?

In standard base 20 it is 5, 1, 6: a bar, a dot, and a bar with a dot, stacked from the top.

What do the dots, bars and shell mean?

A dot is 1, a bar is 5 and a shell is 0. Five dots are never used; they become a bar.

Why does the Long Count use 360?

In Long Count dates the third place is worth 18 x 20 = 360 instead of 400. This tool offers both readings.

Why do I see empty boxes instead of glyphs?

The Unicode characters need a font with the Mayan Numerals block. The shapes drawn on the page work everywhere.

Which row is the biggest?

The top one. Each row down is worth 20 times less (apart from the Long Count exception).