Speed and accuracy of reading Arabic and Roman numerals

Abstract

30 college students were asked to read as fast and as accurately as possible sets of numbers from one to nine, 10 to 49, and 50 to 99 in both Arabic and Roman numerals, and measurements of speed and errors were taken. Percentages of increase in speed of reading for Arabic over Roman numerals were 50.1% for numbers from one to nine, 137.5% for numbers from 10 to 49, and 349.4% for numbers from 50 to 99. Percentages of decrease in errors for Arabic from Roman numerals were 75% for numbers from one to nine, 96.4% for numbers from 10 to 49, and 97.1% for numbers from 50 to 99. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)