MLA 9 Citation Style in 2026: Complete Guide for Literature, Languages and Humanities Papers

The MLA 9 citation style is the dominant standard in literature, languages, cultural studies and humanities papers across the English-speaking world. Published in April 2021, the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook is published by the Modern Language Association of America and remains the current edition in 2026 (no MLA 10 has been announced). This guide gathers every rule, example and 2026 update you need to cite correctly in a thesis, dissertation or term paper.

This is the authoritative practitioner reference. All examples are checked against the official MLA Style Center (https://style.mla.org) and the MLA Handbook, 9th edition.

What MLA 9 Is, Who Maintains It, and When to Use It

MLA Style is published by the Modern Language Association of America, the principal scholarly society for language and literature in North America. The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook was released in April 2021, replacing MLA 8 (2016) but keeping its central innovation: the MLA template of core elements (a single flexible model that adapts to any source type).

Official source: https://www.mla.org/MLA-Style
MLA Style Center (free): https://style.mla.org
Book: MLA Handbook, 9th edition (paperback, hardcover, large print).

Disciplines using MLA 9 as their default standard:

• English literature and comparative literature
• World languages and linguistics (some programs)
• Cultural studies, gender studies, postcolonial studies
• Film and media studies
• Theater and performance studies
• Religious studies (some programs)
• Humanities-oriented programs in general

If your discipline is literature, languages, or humanities, MLA 9 is the expected default. STEM, social sciences and business usually use APA, IEEE or Chicago instead.

The MLA Template of Core Elements

The biggest innovation of MLA 8 (kept in MLA 9) is the template of core elements: a single ordered list of 9 generic elements that adapts to any source type. Instead of memorizing 30+ entry formats, you fill in the elements that apply.

The 9 core elements in order:

Elements you don't have for a given source are simply omitted (no placeholder). The punctuation rules above are consistent regardless of source type.

Example: journal article

Smith, Jane. "Reading Speed and Aging." Journal of Cognitive Aging, vol. 45, no. 3, 2023, pp. 234-251.

Elements present: author, title of source, title of container, number, publication date, location. Other contributors, version and publisher are omitted (none apply).

Example: book

Sherwood, Lauralee. Human Physiology. 4th ed., De Boeck, 2019.

Elements present: author, title of source, version, publisher, publication date.

This template-based approach is what makes MLA flexible enough to handle podcasts, tweets, AI tools, and emerging source types without a manual revision.

In-Text Citations: Author-Page

MLA 9 uses author-page in-text citations (not author-date like APA). The author's last name and page number appear in parentheses, with no comma between them.

Reading speed declines with age in monolingual adults (Smith 142).

If the author is named in the sentence, use only the page number:

Smith argues that reading speed declines with age in monolingual adults (142).

No page number (web sources, articles without pagination)

If the source has no pages (a webpage, a video, a podcast), use only the author's name:

(Smith)

Or, for a more specific reference, use a paragraph number, timestamp, or section heading (only if the source provides them explicitly):

(Smith, par. 4)
(Smith, 00:12:30)

Do not invent paragraph numbers. If the source isn't natively divided, just use the author's name.

Two authors

Both names, joined by and:

(Smith and Jones 142)

Three or more authors

First author's name plus et al. (note: not italicized in MLA 9):

(Smith et al. 142)

Group authors

Use the organization's name. If the name is long, you can shorten it in citations (e.g., "Modern Language Association" can become "MLA" after first mention).

(Modern Language Association 142)

No author

Use the title (shortened to the first noun phrase). Titles in italics for books and other stand-alone works, in quotation marks for articles and chapters.

(Climate Adaptation 142)
("Climate Change Report" 5)

Multiple sources by the same author

Add a shortened title to disambiguate:

(Smith, Reading Mind 142)
(Smith, "Working Memory" 234)

Multiple sources in the same parentheses

Separate by semicolons:

(Smith 142; Jones and Brown 89; Climate Adaptation 234)

Direct quotes vs paraphrase

MLA 9 requires page numbers for both direct quotes AND paraphrases when the source is paginated. This is stricter than APA, which makes page numbers optional for paraphrases.

The Works Cited List: General Rules

The list of all sources cited appears at the end under the heading Works Cited (not "References" or "Bibliography"), centered, on a new page.

Universal formatting rules:

• Double-spaced throughout (including within and between entries)
• Hanging indent of 0.5" (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented)
• Alphabetical order by first author's surname (or by title if no author)
• Author names: surname first for the first author, then "First Name Last Name" for additional authors
• Up to 2 authors listed in full; 3+ uses first author + et al.
• URLs included without "http://" or "https://" prefix (just the domain and path); DOI preferred when available

Author names

First author: Surname, First Name. Second author: First Name Last Name (no inversion).

Smith, Jane, and Adam Jones.

For 3 or more authors, use et al.:

Smith, Jane, et al.

URLs and DOIs

DOI is preferred when available, formatted as a permalink:

doi:10.NNNN/example

For URLs without DOI, omit the http:// or https:// prefix:

www.example.com/article

Stable URLs only. Add a date of access only for time-sensitive content (Wikipedia entries that may change, archived snapshots).

Works Cited: Examples by Source Type

Journal article with DOI

Smith, Jane, and Adam Jones. "Reading Speed and Aging in Monolingual Adults: 
A Longitudinal Study." Journal of Cognitive Aging, vol. 45, no. 3, 2023, 
pp. 234-251. doi:10.NNNN/example.

Article titles are in title case, in quotation marks. Journal titles are in title case, italicized.

Journal article without DOI (print or open access)

Smith, Jane. "Memory Consolidation during Sleep." Sleep Research Journal, 
vol. 12, no. 2, 2022, pp. 45-60.

Book (single author)

Sherwood, Lauralee. Human Physiology. 4th ed., De Boeck, 2019.

Book titles in italics, title case. Edition before the publisher (no parentheses around the edition number).

Book chapter (edited book)

Dupuis, Marc. "Chronic Pain Assessment." Treatise on Pain, edited by 
Raphael Rey, 3rd ed., Maloine, 2021, pp. 234-256.

Edited book (citing the whole work)

Rey, Raphael, editor. Treatise on Pain. 3rd ed., Maloine, 2021.

Thesis or dissertation

Published / in a database:

Garcia, Maria. Cognitive Reserve and Bilingualism in Aging. 2022. 
University of California, Berkeley, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations 
and Theses Global.

Unpublished:

Garcia, Maria. Cognitive Reserve and Bilingualism in Aging. 2022. 
University of California, Berkeley, PhD dissertation.

Webpage

World Health Organization. "Mental Health and Well-Being." World Health 
Organization, 15 Mar. 2024, www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health.

For continuously updated pages, add a retrieval date:

World Health Organization. "COVID-19 Dashboard." World Health Organization, 
covid19.who.int/. Accessed 19 May 2026.

Government report

National Institute of Mental Health. The State of Mental Health in the 
United States. Report no. NIH-23-MH-001, U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services, 2023, www.nimh.nih.gov/example.

Conference paper or presentation

Smith, Jane. "Working Memory in Older Adults." Cognitive Neuroscience 
Society Annual Meeting, 12-15 Mar. 2024, Toronto, Canada. Conference 
presentation.

YouTube or streamed video

TED. "How to Read More Books in 2023." YouTube, uploaded 5 June 2023, 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=example.

Podcast episode

Vedantam, Shankar, host. "The Science of Habits." Hidden Brain, episode 412, 
NPR, 8 Jan. 2024, hiddenbrain.org/podcast/example.

Film

Nolan, Christopher, director. Oppenheimer. Universal Pictures, 2023.

Dataset

Smith, Jane. Cognitive Aging Dataset 2010-2022. Open Science Framework, 
2023, doi:10.NNNN/example Dataset.

AI-generated content (MLA Style Center guidance, updated 2023-2024)

For ChatGPT and other AI tools, MLA recommends citing the response as a source. The prompt acts as the "title" and the AI tool as the "publisher".

"Summarize the themes of Hamlet" prompt. ChatGPT, 14 Mar. version, OpenAI, 
14 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com.

In-text: ("Summarize the themes"). Archive the full prompt and response in an appendix if substantive. Disclose AI use per your institution's policy.

Newspaper article (online)

Goldstein, Dana. "Reading Scores Recover Post-Pandemic." The New York Times, 
22 Apr. 2024, www.nytimes.com/example.

Social media post

@MLAstyle. "Reminder: in MLA 9, the core elements approach is unchanged from 
MLA 8: author, title, container, contributors, version, number, publisher, 
date, location." X, 5 Mar. 2024, x.com/MLAstyle/status/example.

Tweet / X post (longer-format)

If the post is long enough to have a meaningful first line, use it as the title (in quotation marks); otherwise use the first 140 characters.

Paper Formatting (Manuscript Layout)

MLA 9 formatting rules are consistent and easy to memorize.

Margins

1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides.

Font

Times New Roman 12pt is the historical default. MLA 9 also accepts any readable serif font (Cambria, Georgia, Garamond). Consistency matters more than the specific font.

Spacing

Double-spaced throughout, including:

• Body text
• Block quotes (4+ lines)
• Works Cited entries
• Headings

Indentation

First line of every paragraph: indented 0.5". Block quotes (more than 4 lines of prose, or more than 3 lines of poetry): no quotation marks, indented 0.5" from the left margin only.

Page numbers and header

Top right corner of every page: your surname followed by the page number (no comma).

Smith 1
Smith 2

Page 1 is your first page of body text (not a separate title page).

Heading on first page (not a title page)

MLA 9 does NOT use a separate title page by default. Instead, the first page has a 4-line heading flush left, double-spaced:

Jane Smith
Professor Doe
ENGL 401
19 May 2026

Then the paper title (centered, title case, no bold, no italics, no underline, no quotation marks).

Some instructors and graduate programs require a separate title page for theses. Follow your program's guidance, which overrides MLA's default.

Section headings

MLA 9 does not prescribe heading levels for shorter papers. For longer works (theses, dissertations), use a consistent system:

• Numbered headings (1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, etc.) or
• Bold/italic distinctions (no formal MLA template; consistency is what matters)

Use the system your supervisor or graduate program specifies.

Key Changes: MLA 9 vs MLA 8 (for those updating)

MLA 9 is more an expansion than a revolution. The core innovation (template of core elements) was already in MLA 8. Key additions in MLA 9:

1. Three new practical appendices: example papers, formatting reference, and inclusive language guide.
2. Expanded guidance on inclusive language (race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age).
3. Updated guidance for digital sources: clearer rules for podcasts, social media, AI tools, streaming content.
4. Annotation flexibility: annotated bibliographies have more leeway on entry length and format.
5. DOI emphasized over URL when both are available.
6. No major changes to the 9 core elements or to in-text citation format.

If you learned MLA 8, MLA 9 is essentially the same with refined guidance. There is no equivalent to the major APA 7 vs APA 6 transition (which forced rewrites of many references).

Inclusive Language (Appendix in MLA 9)

MLA 9 added a dedicated appendix on inclusive language, aligning humanities writing with broader changes in academic style. Key guidance:

• Person-first or identity-first language: use what the community prefers (autistic person, deaf community). Don't impose person-first when identity-first is the norm in that community.
• Gender-neutral pronouns: singular "they" is fully accepted in MLA 9.
• Racial and ethnic identity: capitalize "Black", "Indigenous", "White"; name groups specifically rather than aggregating.
• Sexual orientation: use current preferred terminology (LGBTQ+, transgender) rather than outdated terms.
• Disability: avoid euphemisms ("differently abled") that obscure rather than clarify.
• Age: be specific (graduate students, undergraduates) rather than vague.

This appendix is now required reading for any thesis involving human subjects or representations of social groups.

Common Mistakes That Cost Points or Cause Re-Formatting

Five mistakes supervisors flag most often in MLA 9 papers.

Using a comma between author and page in parenthetical citations: MLA uses no comma. Write (Smith 142), not (Smith, 142). This is the most common APA-to-MLA carryover.

Forgetting the 9-element template structure: every entry should follow the same ordered template. If your works cited list has different orderings for different entry types, you're probably defaulting to memorized formats instead of the template.

Mixing italics and quotation marks for titles: stand-alone works (books, journals, films, albums) = italics. Parts of larger works (articles, chapters, songs) = quotation marks. Do not use both for the same title.

Citing without page numbers when pages exist: MLA requires page numbers even for paraphrases, unlike APA. If the source has pages and you don't cite them, your supervisor will ask you to add them.

Including "http://" or "https://": MLA 9 omits these prefixes. Use only the domain and path (www.example.com/article).

Reference Managers and MLA 9

Most reference managers ship with up-to-date MLA 9 CSL files:

• Zotero (free, open source): built-in MLA 9 style, excellent for humanities work
• Mendeley (free, by Elsevier): MLA 9 available, but historically less polished for MLA than for APA
• EndNote (paid, by Clarivate): MLA 9 preinstalled in recent versions
• NoodleTools (paid, optimized for high school and college): MLA 9 native
• Folio Student: applies MLA 9 layout automatically on import for thesis projects

Verify your manager's style is "MLA 9th edition" specifically, not "MLA 8" or just "MLA". Older installations may default to MLA 7 (significantly different format).

Submission Checklist (MLA 9 Thesis or Paper)

• Title page or 4-line heading on first page (per program requirements)
• Margins set to 1 inch on all sides
• Times New Roman 12pt or equivalent readable serif font (consistent)
• Double-spaced throughout
• Surname + page number top right on every page
• All in-text citations use author-page format with no comma
• Page numbers cited for paraphrases as well as direct quotes
• All in-text citations match Works Cited entries one-to-one
• Works Cited on a new page, "Works Cited" centered (not bold)
• Hanging indent 0.5" on every entry
• Alphabetical order by first author's surname (or title if no author)
• Each entry follows the 9-element template
• Italics for stand-alone works, quotation marks for parts of larger works
• DOIs included as permalinks when available
• URLs without "http://" or "https://" prefix
• Up to 2 authors listed in full; 3+ uses et al.
• Inclusive language appendix applied
• Final proofread by a fresh reader

For full details on every academic standard, see our academic style guides reference. For a comparison of APA, MLA, Chicago and Vancouver by discipline, see our doctoral thesis formatting guide. For deep coverage of the social science standard, see our APA 7 complete guide.

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FAQ

Is MLA 9 still the current edition in 2026?
Yes. MLA 9 was published in April 2021 and remains the current edition as of May 2026. The Modern Language Association has not announced MLA 10. MLA editions historically appear every 5-10 years, so MLA 10 is possible but not imminent.

What's the main difference between MLA 9 and MLA 8?
Very little, structurally. The 9-element template of core elements is unchanged. MLA 9 adds practical appendices (example papers, formatting reference, inclusive language guide), expanded guidance for digital and AI sources, and refined guidance for annotated bibliographies. If you wrote in MLA 8, MLA 9 is essentially the same edition with extra appendices.

Should I use a title page in MLA 9?
MLA 9's default is NO separate title page. The first page has a 4-line heading (your name, instructor name, course, date) flush left, then the paper title centered. Many graduate programs require a separate title page for theses; follow your program's guidance, which overrides the MLA default.

How do I cite a source with no page numbers in MLA?
Use only the author's name in the parenthetical citation: (Smith). If the source provides explicit paragraph numbers (par.), section headings (sec.), or timestamps for video/audio, you can include them: (Smith, par. 4), (Smith 00:12:30). Do not invent paragraph numbers if the source doesn't provide them.

How do I cite ChatGPT or another AI tool in MLA?
MLA recommends treating the prompt as the title and the AI tool as the publisher:

"Summarize the themes of Hamlet" prompt. ChatGPT, 14 Mar. version, OpenAI, 14 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com.

In-text: ("Summarize the themes"). Archive the full prompt and response in an appendix. Disclose AI use per your institution's policy. This guidance was added to the MLA Style Center in 2023 and refined through 2024.

Why doesn't MLA use commas between author and page?
MLA's convention is "Author Page" with a space, mimicking how a reader would mentally locate the source: in the book by Smith, on page 142. APA uses commas because it's "Author, Date" (two distinct fields). The MLA convention is unique to literary citation tradition.

Do I need to include page numbers for paraphrases in MLA?
Yes, when the source is paginated. MLA is stricter than APA on this. If your source has pages and you don't cite them, your supervisor will ask you to add them.

What's the difference between Works Cited and Bibliography in MLA?
A Works Cited list contains only the sources actually cited in the paper. A Bibliography (or "Works Consulted") may contain additional sources you read but did not cite. MLA's default is Works Cited; some instructors request a separate Works Consulted section.

Can I use Wikipedia as a source in MLA?
Yes, technically, but most instructors discourage Wikipedia as a primary source. Cite it as a wiki entry with access date (since the content can change):

"Phonemics." Wikipedia, 5 May 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonemics. Accessed 19 May 2026.

Better practice: use Wikipedia to find primary sources in its references section, then cite those.

How long should my Works Cited list be?
There's no MLA prescription. A 10-page undergraduate paper might have 8-15 entries; a 60-page master's thesis might have 80-150; a 250-page PhD dissertation could have 300+. Quality and relevance matter more than quantity.

What about poetry quotations in MLA?
For short poetry quotes (3 lines or fewer), include them in your prose with line breaks marked by a slash with spaces ("To be / or not to be"). For longer quotes (4+ lines), use a block quote (indented 0.5", no quotation marks). Cite by line number, not page: (Shakespeare, 3.1.55-58).

How do I cite an interview I conducted myself?
Personal interviews are cited in the Works Cited:

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 15 Apr. 2024.

In-text: (Smith). If the interview was conducted by someone else and published, treat it as a published source with the interviewee as author and the venue as container.