What is MLA 9th edition format?

MLA 9th edition (2021) is the latest version of the Modern Language Association's citation style, used primarily in humanities. It uses a flexible container system with nine core elements: author, title of source, title of container, contributors, version, number, publisher, date, and location.

How do I format a works cited entry in MLA?

A basic MLA works cited entry for a journal article: Author Last, First. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. #–#. DOI or URL. Titles of sources go in quotation marks; container titles (journal names) are italicized.

How do I cite a website in MLA format?

For a website: Author Last, First. "Title of Page." Title of Website, Publisher (if different from website), Date, URL. If there's no author, start with the page title. Access dates are only included when the content may change.

What is the difference between MLA 8 and MLA 9?

MLA 9 adds guidance for citing social media, online videos, and other digital sources. It also clarifies when to include access dates, how to handle missing elements, and when to use descriptive labels. The core container system remains the same.

Is this MLA citation generator free?

Yes. PapersFlow's MLA citation generator is completely free — no ads, no paywall, no account needed. Generate unlimited MLA 9th edition citations.

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Free MLA Citation Generator — MLA 9th Edition Format

Free MLA citation generator for 9th edition. Paste a DOI, URL, or title and get a correctly formatted MLA works cited entry in seconds.

Paste a DOI, URL, or paper title and get an instant MLA 9th edition works cited entry. Handles journal articles, books, websites, and multimedia with correct container hierarchy and contributor formatting.

MLA 9th edition uses a container-based system that confuses even seasoned writers. Each source has up to nine core elements that must appear in a specific order — author, title of source, title of container, contributors, version, number, publisher, date, and location. Nesting containers (a journal article inside a database, for instance) makes formatting even harder. PapersFlow handles all of this automatically.

Key Features

MLA 9th Edition Compliant
Publisher-Verified Metadata
In-Text Citations
All Source Types

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is MLA 9th edition format?: MLA 9th edition (2021) is the latest version of the Modern Language Association's citation style, used primarily in humanities. It uses a flexible container system with nine core elements: author, title of source, title of container, contributors, version, number, publisher, date, and location.
How do I format a works cited entry in MLA?: A basic MLA works cited entry for a journal article: Author Last, First. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. #–#. DOI or URL. Titles of sources go in quotation marks; container titles (journal names) are italicized.
How do I cite a website in MLA format?: For a website: Author Last, First. "Title of Page." Title of Website, Publisher (if different from website), Date, URL. If there's no author, start with the page title. Access dates are only included when the content may change.
What is the difference between MLA 8 and MLA 9?: MLA 9 adds guidance for citing social media, online videos, and other digital sources. It also clarifies when to include access dates, how to handle missing elements, and when to use descriptive labels. The core container system remains the same.
Is this MLA citation generator free?: Yes. PapersFlow's MLA citation generator is completely free — no ads, no paywall, no account needed. Generate unlimited MLA 9th edition citations.