MLA Citation Generator
Quickly create well-formatted MLA citations with a citation generator built by writing experts.
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A Short Guide to MLA Format Citations
The MLA citation format is typically used by those in liberal arts and humanities fields. Learn what MLA style is, when to use MLA-format citations, and how to create in-text and full MLA citations for all sorts of sources below.
How to Create MLA Format Citations
How to write a full MLA citation
Full MLA citations should be listed on your paper's works cited page, and their exact content varies depending on the source you're citing. A full MLA YouTube video citation will look a bit different from an MLA newspaper citation, which won’t be exactly the same as an MLA photo citation, and so forth. That said, the MLA citations on your works cited page will all follow the same general MLA format. Here’s how that format looks:
The pieces of information you include depend on your source. For example, an MLA citation for a book might look like this:
How to write an in-text MLA citation
Like full citations, in-text MLA citations vary depending on the source. However, they’re a bit simpler and include less information. To create an in-text MLA citation, you typically include the author’s last name and the page number of the work being cited in parentheses right after the reference. The citation’s contents will change a little depending on factors like multiple authors and if a source is audiovisual or online, but they'll all follow the same general format. Here’s how MLA in-text citations would look for the full citation examples from above:
To learn more about how to cite MLA for specific sources, check out the links in the section below.
MLA Format Citations vs. Other Formats
You may be asked to use Chicago-style or APA-format citations instead of MLA-format citations on some assignments. APA format is used for the sciences and education, and Chicago style is typically used for history, business, and fine arts.
Unlike APA, it’s not always clear when you should use Chicago versus MLA. Chicago is typically the go-to style guide for history, business, and fine arts papers, but Chicago or MLA may be used for other humanities subjects, like literature and theater. Generally, MLA is the preferred style guide for humanities work at the undergraduate level, whereas Chicago is more common at the graduate level.
Though APA and Chicago share similarities with MLA, they have a slightly different approach to things like author names, dates, and title capitalization. This can be a bit confusing, but don’t worry! The free citation generator at the top of this page is here to save the day. Use it to quickly and accurately create citations in MLA, Chicago, or APA format.
Unlike APA, it’s not always clear when you should use Chicago versus MLA. Chicago is typically the go-to style guide for history, business, and fine arts papers, but Chicago or MLA may be used for other humanities subjects, like literature and theater. Generally, MLA is the preferred style guide for humanities work at the undergraduate level, whereas Chicago is more common at the graduate level.
Though APA and Chicago share similarities with MLA, they have a slightly different approach to things like author names, dates, and title capitalization. This can be a bit confusing, but don’t worry! The free citation generator at the top of this page is here to save the day. Use it to quickly and accurately create citations in MLA, Chicago, or APA format.
How to Cite (Almost) Anything in MLA Format
Have you ever wondered, "How do I cite a book with multiple authors?" or "What are the rules for citing a Wikipedia article in MLA?” Well, good news. Learning how to cite sources in MLA format isn’t hard, and the articles below are here to help. Browse through them to see MLA citation examples and get guidance on how to do a wide variety of MLA citations.
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