Writing
MLA Citation Generator
An MLA citation in the 9th edition puts one source into a works-cited entry built from core elements: author, title, container, publisher, date, and location. Pick a source type below, fill in what you know, and copy a correctly punctuated entry with author names, italics, and the Accessed date handled for you.
Source type
Authors
Source details
Works cited entry
Kenzie, Lee. "How to Cite in MLA." EasyBib, Chegg, 15 Mar. 2020, www.easybib.com/guides/mla. Accessed 3 Sept. 2021.
MLA 9 works-cited format
MLA 9th edition uses one template of core elements, each followed by set punctuation. The general pattern differs by source type:
WebsiteAuthor. "Page Title." Website Name, Publisher, Publication Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
BookAuthor. Book Title. Publisher, Publication Year, pp. Pages.
Journal articleAuthor. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Year, pp. Pages.
Common questions
Which MLA edition does this generator use?
It follows MLA 9th edition, the current standard from the Modern Language Association. MLA 9 uses one flexible template of core elements: Author, Title of Source, Title of Container, Publisher, Publication Date, and Location. This tool arranges those elements and their punctuation for you.
How do I format two or more authors?
For one author, MLA inverts the name as Last, First. For two authors, the first stays inverted and the second is written First Last, joined by "and". For three or more authors, MLA lists only the first author, inverted, followed by "et al." Add each author above and the generator applies the correct rule.
What is the difference between citing a website and a book?
A book title is written in italics and needs a publisher and year. A web page title goes in quotation marks, the website name is the italic container, and you add the URL plus an "Accessed" date. Pick the source type above and the fields change to match.
Is a works-cited entry the same as an in-text citation?
No. This generator builds the full works-cited entry that goes at the end of your paper. An in-text citation is the short parenthetical you place in the body, usually the author last name and a page number, for example (Smith 42). Both point to the same source.