MLA Citation Generator
Generate MLA 9th edition works-cited entries and in-text citations for books, websites and journals. Free MLA citation generator with copy button.
About the MLA Citation Generator
This free MLA citation generator turns your source details into a correct MLA 9th edition works-cited entry and matching in-text citation. Pick the source type — book, website or journal article — enter the details, and copy a citation formatted to MLA's container-based system.
MLA lists the author surname first, then the title (in title case, with the source title in italics), followed by the 'container' (the larger work), other contributors, version, publisher, date and location such as a URL or page range. The in-text citation uses the author-page format, like (Sharma 42), pointing readers to the works-cited list.
Students and writers in the humanities — literature, languages, cultural studies — use MLA most. Always verify the output against the latest MLA handbook for unusual sources. Everything runs in your browser with no signup.
How to Use the MLA Citation Generator
- 1Select the source type: book, website or journal article.
- 2Enter the author, title, publication details and date.
- 3Read the formatted MLA works-cited entry and in-text citation.
- 4Copy the entry into your works-cited list with one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a book in MLA 9th edition?
The format is: Author Last, First. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year. For example: Sharma, Ravi. Understanding Statistics. Academic Press, 2023. The in-text citation is (Sharma 42), using the page number.
What is a container in MLA style?
A container is the larger work that holds your source — a journal that contains an article, a website that contains a page, or an anthology that contains a chapter. MLA italicises container titles and lists container details after the source title.
How does an MLA in-text citation work?
MLA uses author and page number with no comma: (Sharma 42). If the author is named in your sentence, give just the page: 'Sharma argues... (42)'. For sources without page numbers, like many websites, use just the author's surname.
How do I cite a website with no author in MLA?
Begin the entry with the title of the page instead of an author. In text, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks. The generator handles a missing author by promoting the title to the front of the entry.
Does MLA use title case or sentence case?
MLA uses title case — capitalise the first and last words and all principal words in titles. This differs from APA, which uses sentence case for most titles. The generator applies MLA's title-case rules automatically.