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How-to guide

How to Calculate Nth Root: Formula, Steps & Examples

Learn how to calculate Nth Root — the formula explained step by step, with worked examples and a free calculator to check your answer.

By Vikram Iyer, M.Sc Mathematics · Updated Jun 2026 · 2 min read

Calculating your nth root is straightforward once you know the Nth Root formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Nth Root Calculator.

What is Nth Root?

The Nth Root calculation tells you your nth root from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the nth root.

The Nth Root formula

The core formula is:

nth root = (Number)^(1 ÷ Root (n))

Here is what each input means:

  • Number — a number. Example: 32.
  • Root (n) — a number. Example: 5.

How to calculate it step by step

  • Write down the number (for example, 32).
  • Write down the root (n) (for example, 5).
  • Apply the formula above to get your nth root.
  • Double-check the result with the Nth Root Calculator.

Worked examples

Example 1

Input / OutputValue
Number32
Root (n)5
nth root2.000000

With number of 32 and root (n) of 5, the nth root works out to 2.000000.

Example 2

With number of 64 and root (n) of 5, the nth root works out to 2.297397.

ResultValue
nth root2.297397

Example 3

With number of 16 and root (n) of 5, the nth root works out to 1.741101.

ResultValue
nth root1.741101

Tips for an accurate result

  • Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
  • Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
  • Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.

Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Nth Root Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.

Continue exploring math calculators with these tools: Margin of Error Calculator, Sample Size Calculator, Confidence Interval Calculator, Coefficient of Variation Calculator, Regular Heptagon Area Calculator.

Calculators in this guide

Frequently asked questions

The formula is: nth root = (Number)^(1 ÷ Root (n)). With number of 32 and root (n) of 5, the nth root works out to 2.000000.

Gather each input, apply the formula step by step keeping your units consistent, and round only at the end. You can verify your answer instantly with the Nth Root Calculator.

It uses the standard formula with exact arithmetic, so the result is correct for the inputs you enter. Bear in mind that real-world outcomes can still differ when underlying assumptions change.

Nth Root Table: nth root by Number

Reference table of nth root for Nth Root across a range of number values — exact, engine-computed figures you can read off at a glance.

1 min read

Vikram Iyer · M.Sc Mathematics

Vikram Iyer is a mathematics educator with over fifteen years of teaching experience, specialising in making quantitative concepts clear and practical for everyday use.