Build an MLA 9 citation
Choose the source type and fill the boxes — the works cited entry and the in-text citation update as you type. MLA 9 is punctuation-heavy, so let the tool place the commas, periods and italics; you only supply the facts. When an entry looks right, add it to the list below the tool.
MLA 9 citation builder
100% private — runs in your browserAuthor names: first author is inverted (Surname, First name); a second author stays in normal order. Titles use headline capitals — capitalise the main words.
Three or more authors? Add them all — the entry keeps the first name plus et al., and so does the in-text citation.
The site name is the container, so it takes the italics. Leave the author boxes empty if the page has no named author.
MLA in-text citations use the page number with no comma and no “p.”: (Okonkwo 41).
Fill in at least a title — your entry appears here.
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Your works cited list
0 sourcesA .txt export cannot carry italics or quotation marks' formatting, so re-apply italics after pasting into your document. The list lives in your browser only — export before you close the tab.
The nine core elements of MLA 9
Every MLA entry is the same machine, running from the most specific element to the most general. You include the elements the source actually has, then finish with a period. That is why entries of different source types still look related: the order never changes.
| # | Element | Example (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Author | Okonkwo, Chidi. |
| 2 | Title of source | "City Logistics after Dark." |
| 3 | Title of container | Journal of Urban Systems, |
| 4 | Other contributors | translated by R. Almeida, |
| 5 | Version | 2nd ed., |
| 6 | Number | vol. 18, no. 4, |
| 7 | Publisher | Marlowe Press, |
| 8 | Publication date | 2023, |
| 9 | Location | pp. 77–94. |
Two author rules cover most essays. With two authors, only the first is inverted, and the second keeps natural order: Smith, Anna, and Ben Jones. With three or more authors, the entry keeps only the first name followed by et al. — a change MLA made permanent in the 9th edition, and it applies to the in-text citation too.
Containers: what sits inside what
A container is the larger whole that holds the source you used. A journal article sits inside a journal, a web page sits inside a website, and a book chapter sits inside the book. The title of the thing itself takes quotation marks; the container's title takes italics. When the container carries most of the information — as with many web pages — the entry shrinks fast:
Dvorak, Petra. "Reading the Fine Print on Grants." Funding Watch, 3 June 2024, https://fundingwatch.example/grants-fine-print.
Sources can live in two containers at once. An article you read through a database belongs to the journal first and the database second: the journal's details come first, then the database name and its URL. The generator above builds the first container; if your marker wants the database named too, append it after the DOI or URL.
When you need page numbers (and what to do without them)
MLA in-text citations pair the author with a page number: (Okonkwo 41). There is no comma, no “p.” and no year — the year lives in the works cited list. Use the author's page number when the source has stable pages: printed books, PDFs, journal articles. Without stable pages, count paragraphs or sections only if your instructor asks; otherwise the author alone is enough.
Time-based media replace pages with time stamps. For a film or video, the in-text citation looks like (00:03:11–00:04:02) for the range you are quoting or describing. Poetry uses line numbers — (lines 5–8) on the first mention, then (5–8) — and a multi-volume work adds the volume before the page, separated by a colon: (2: 114).
If the works cited entry has no author, the in-text citation falls back to the title, shortened to the first few words: ("Fine Print" 12) for a web page, or Trade Routes 41 in italics for a book.
MLA vs APA at a glance
Switching between styles mid-semester is where most citation errors come from, so here is the quick comparison. The biggest differences: MLA puts the date near the end of an entry, while APA puts it right after the author; MLA in-text citations use pages, APA uses years; and the list itself has a different name.
| Feature | MLA 9 | APA 7 |
|---|---|---|
| List name | Works Cited | References |
| In-text pattern | (Okonkwo 41) | (Okonkwo, 2019) |
| Date position | Near the end of the entry | Right after the author |
| Book title | Italics, headline capitals | Italics, sentence case |
| Article title | Quotation marks | Plain text, no marks |
| Three-plus authors | First author et al. | First author et al. |
| Page locator in text | Always when pages exist | Only for direct quotes |
Building the APA side of an assignment? The APA 7 citation generator mirrors this tool, and the annotated bibliography generator lets you attach notes to either list. Both sit in the free writing tools collection alongside the Harvard referencing generator.
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Frequently asked questions
Should URLs include https:// in MLA 9?
Yes. The 9th edition recommends copying the full URL, https:// included. The tool adds the prefix when you paste a bare www. address, and turns a bare DOI into its https://doi.org/ form.
Do I need an access date for websites?
Not usually. Add “Accessed” plus the date when the page shows no publication date or when its content changes often. Tick the box in the tool and today's date is inserted for you.
How do I cite two authors or three-plus authors?
Two authors: the first is inverted, the second keeps natural order, joined by “and”. Three or more: only the first author appears, followed by et al. — in the works cited entry and in the in-text citation alike.
Why does MLA use quotation marks here but italics there?
MLA treats the container as the big thing: journals, books and websites take italics. The smaller work inside — an article, a page, a chapter — takes quotation marks. APA handles titles differently, which is why switching styles causes so many slips.
How do I cite an article from a library database?
Build the journal entry as usual, then add the database as a second container after the pages: Journal of Urban Systems, vol. 18, no. 4, 2023, pp. 77–94. Database Name, https://doi.org/xxxx. If the article has a DOI, that alone is usually acceptable.
Where is my works cited list saved?
In your browser's local storage on this device — no account, no upload. Use the export button to keep a copy before clearing your browser or closing the tab for good.
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