Roman Numeral and Arabic Page Numbers in Word

Updated 5 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Use Roman numerals for front matter and Arabic numerals for the main text in the same Word document by separating the document into sections. You’ll need to unlink the sections’ headers or footers and set the numbering format and starting number separately; this keeps changes to one section from affecting the other.

What You’ll Need

A Word document with the front matter and main text in the intended order.
Microsoft Word for desktop, or Word for the web if it offers the section and header/footer controls you need. The desktop app provides the most complete controls.
Permission to edit the document. Save a copy first if you are changing a finished or shared file.

Step-by-Step

Identify where the numbering changes. Decide which pages belong to the front matter (for example, a title page, contents, or acknowledgments) and where the main text begins. Click at the very end of the last front-matter page. If the main text must begin on a new page, the section break you add next will do that.
Show formatting marks if helpful. On the Home tab, select the paragraph-mark button (¶). This makes section breaks and other hidden formatting easier to find. You can turn this display off later; it does not print.
Insert a next-page section break. Go to the Layout tab, choose Breaks, then under Section Breaks choose Next Page. Word starts a new section on the following page. Use a section break, not just a page break: a page break starts another page but does not create independent numbering settings.
Open the main-text header or footer. Go to the first page of the main text and double-click in the header or footer area where you want the number. Page numbers can be placed in either area; choose the same location throughout unless your formatting requirements say otherwise.
Turn off Link to Previous for that area. On the Header & Footer tab, select Link to Previous so it is no longer active. Headers and footers are linked separately, so if you use both, repeat this for each one. This prevents the main-text section’s page-number settings or content from being tied to the front matter. If you cannot see the control, make sure you are editing the main-text section, not the first section.
Set Arabic numbering in the main text. With the main-text header or footer open, choose Page Number, then Format Page Numbers. In the Number format list, select 1, 2, 3, …. Under Page numbering, choose Start at and enter 1 (or another number if your document requires it). Select OK. If no number appears, use Page Number again to insert one in the desired position.
Set Roman numbering in the front matter. Go to a front-matter page and open its header or footer. Choose Page Number, then Format Page Numbers. Select the lowercase Roman format i, ii, iii, … or uppercase I, II, III, …, as required. Under Page numbering, choose Start at and enter 1, then select OK. Insert a page number if that section does not already have one. The first numbered page will display as i or I.
Choose whether the title page displays a number. If the title page should have no visible number, open the first section’s header or footer and select Different First Page on the Header & Footer tab. This hides the first page’s header/footer content without removing the page from the document. Check the next front-matter page: depending on your numbering requirements, it may display ii even though the title page’s i is hidden. If it should instead display i, adjust the first section’s numbering start or structure accordingly.
Check both sections and save. Close Header and Footer, then inspect the last front-matter page, the first main-text page, and several following pages. Confirm the Roman sequence and Arabic sequence are each correct, and that the main text starts at the intended number. Save the document. If you later add or remove pages, Word normally updates page numbers automatically.

Common Mistakes

Using a page break instead of a section break: A page break does not create a separate numbering scheme. Insert Layout > Breaks > Next Page under Section Breaks.
Leaving Link to Previous on: The main section may inherit the front matter’s numbering format or header/footer content. Unlink the relevant header or footer before changing its numbering.
Changing the number format but not the starting number: A section can use Arabic numerals and still continue from the preceding section. In Format Page Numbers, choose Start at and enter the intended value.
Deleting a number without checking the section: Linked headers or footers can make a change appear in more than one section. Verify that you are editing the correct section and unlink it first.
Confusing Different First Page with removing a page: This option hides the first page’s header/footer content; it does not remove the page or change the sequence automatically.

Tips

Use lowercase Roman numerals for front matter and Arabic numerals for the main text when that matches your school, publisher, or organization’s requirements.
Decide whether the title page counts in the front-matter sequence before setting the numbering. “No visible number” and “does not count” are different requirements.
Use Word’s built-in Page Number command instead of typing numbers manually. Automatic fields update when the document’s pagination changes.
Keep formatting marks visible while troubleshooting section breaks, then turn them off for a cleaner editing view.
After major edits, review the transition page and the pages immediately around it; changes in layout can move the section break or alter pagination.

Troubleshooting

Both sections show the same numeral style: Open the header or footer in the section that is wrong. Check Link to Previous and turn it off if needed, then use Page Number > Format Page Numbers to set that section’s format. Remember that the header and footer have separate links.

The main text continues with a number other than 1: In the main-text section, open Format Page Numbers and select Start at: 1. Make sure you are changing the section after the break, not the front matter.

The main text changes when you edit the front matter: The sections may still be linked, or you may have edited the wrong section. Click in the main-text header/footer, confirm its section label if shown, and switch off Link to Previous before making changes.

A number is missing on one page: Check whether Different First Page is enabled, or whether that page is an odd or even page with a separate header/footer. If Different Odd & Even Pages is enabled, edit the appropriate header/footer type as well.

The numbering changes after editing: Turn on paragraph marks and confirm the Next Page section break is still in the right place. Also check for extra section breaks, which can create additional numbering sections. Correct the break, then recheck each section’s Format Page Numbers settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can one Word document have Roman and Arabic page numbers?
Yes. Put a section break where the numbering style changes, unlink the later section’s header or footer, and set each section’s number format separately.

Do I need a section break or a page break?
Use a section break, usually Next Page. A page break only moves text to a new page and does not provide independent page-number formatting.

Can the title page have no visible number?
Yes. In the first section, select Different First Page and leave its first-page header/footer number blank. The title page can still count in the sequence, so check the number shown on the following page.

Can Roman numerals start at ii instead of i?
Yes. In that section, open Page Number > Format Page Numbers, choose the Roman format, and set Start at to 2. Word displays the corresponding Roman numeral.

Why does the footer change when I edit the header?
Headers and footers have separate Link to Previous controls, and they can also be affected by first-page or odd/even settings. Check the specific area and page type you are editing.

Will page numbers update if I add pages?
Word’s page-number fields generally update automatically as pagination changes. Review the numbering after substantial edits, especially around section breaks.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.