Free MLA 9th Edition Citation Generator: Cite Sources Instantly

Need a fast, reliable way to format citations in MLA 9th Edition? This guide explains the rules, shows step-by-step examples for common source types, and points to a free MLA 9th Edition citation generator you can use right now. Students, researchers, and educators use MLA 9 for humanities papers, especially in writing, literature, and cultural studies.

Why use a citation generator?

Manual formatting is time-consuming and error-prone. A generator speeds the process and reduces mistakes. For a convenient, free tool try Rephrasely’s citation generator: https://rephrasely.com/citation. Pair it with Rephrasely’s plagiarism checker or AI detector to verify originality and citation quality.

General Rules

The MLA 9th Edition centers on clear attribution, readable entries, and consistent punctuation. Follow these key rules for all references.

Use a readable serif or sans-serif font and double-space your document.
Apply a hanging indent (0.5 inch) for each works-cited entry.
List entries alphabetically by the author’s last name. If no author, alphabetize by title (ignore initial articles).
Italicize titles of standalone works (books, films). Use quotation marks for shorter works (articles, poems, chapters).
Include URLs for online sources. Remove "https://" only if your instructor prefers it omitted, but MLA allows full URLs.
Give the containers: if an article appears in a journal or a webpage appears within a site, include both the source and the container details.

How to Cite by Source Type

Below are step-by-step formats and examples for common source types. Use the free MLA 9th Edition citation generator to create these automatically, then copy and paste into your works-cited list.

Books (single author)

Format:

Author Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

Example:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Classics, 2002.

Actionable tip: For multiple authors, list the first author Lastname, Firstname, then additional authors as Firstname Lastname.

Journal Articles (print and online)

Format (print):

Author Lastname, Firstname. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. start–end.

Format (online):

Author Lastname, Firstname. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. start–end. DOI or URL.

Example (online):

Nguyen, Lan. "Digital Storytelling in Higher Ed." Journal of Online Learning, vol. 10, no. 2, 2021, pp. 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1234/jol.v10i2.456.

Actionable tip: Prefer DOIs for stability. If no DOI, include the URL.

Websites and Webpages

Format:

Author Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Webpage." Website Name, Publisher (if different), Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year (optional).

Example:

Jordan, Mark. "How to Read Shakespeare." Shakespeare Online, 5 Mar. 2020, www.shakespeareonline.org/read. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.

Actionable tip: If no author, start with the page title. Always include an access date if the content is likely to change.

Films and Videos

Format:

Title of Film. Directed by Director's Name, performances by Lead Actors (optional), Production Company, Year.

Example:

Spirited Away. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, performances by Rumi Hiiragi and Miyu Irino, Studio Ghibli, 2001.

Actionable tip: For streaming, add the platform and URL if relevant (e.g., Netflix or Hulu), especially for unique editions.

Podcasts and Social Media Posts

Podcast format:

Host Lastname, Firstname, host. "Episode Title." Podcast Name, season #, episode #, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.

Social media post format:

Author Lastname, Firstname (Username). "Text of post" or description. Platform, Day Month Year, URL.

Example (podcast):

Rogers, Anna, host. "The Ethics of AI." Future Think, season 2, episode 5, FutureCast Media, 10 Jan. 2023, https://podcasts.example/episode5.

In-Text Citations

MLA uses parenthetical citations keyed to the works-cited list. Keep citations brief and place them where the referenced idea appears.

Use author and page: (Smith 23).
If no page numbers (webpages), use only the author: (Jordan).
For two authors: (Griffin and Lee 12).
For three or more authors: use the first author plus "et al.": (Miller et al. 78).
If the author is named in the sentence, include only the page: Smith argues that... (23).

Examples:

According to recent studies, narrative strategies increase engagement (Nguyen 52).

Jordan suggests that modern editions simplify reading (para. 4).

Reference List (Works Cited)

Label the reference list "Works Cited" and center it at the top of the page. Double-space all lines and use a hanging indent for each entry.

Formatting rules:

Alphabetize by author’s last name.
Use title case for major words in titles.
Include DOIs for journal articles when available.
Omit URL protocol (optional) but keep full URLs if preferred by your instructor.

Example works-cited entries:

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Classics, 2002.

Nguyen, Lan. "Digital Storytelling in Higher Ed." Journal of Online Learning, vol. 10, no. 2, 2021, pp. 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1234/jol.v10i2.456.

Jordan, Mark. "How to Read Shakespeare." Shakespeare Online, 5 Mar. 2020, www.shakespeareonline.org/read. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.

Spirited Away. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, 2001.

Actionable step: After generating citations with a tool like Rephrasely’s free MLA 9th Edition citation generator, paste entries into your document, ensure double spacing, and apply hanging indents. Then run a quick check with Rephrasely’s plagiarism checker or AI detector if you used AI writing tools.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect author order: For multiple authors, don’t invert the second and subsequent names. Use "First Last" for those after the first author.
Missing container information: Forgetting the journal or website name breaks the link between article and container.
Improper punctuation and italics: Titles of books and journals must be italicized; article and chapter titles must be in quotation marks.
Skipping access dates for unstable web content: If a page is likely to change, include "Accessed Day Month Year."

Actionable correction method: Run your completed works-cited list through the citation generator to compare. Then manually confirm italics and punctuation. Use Rephrasely’s AI writer or paraphraser only for drafting — always verify citations manually or with the generator.

Using Rephrasely’s Free MLA 9th Edition Citation Generator

Steps to create citations instantly:

Open the generator: https://rephrasely.com/citation.
Select MLA 9th Edition and your source type (book, journal, website, etc.).
Fill required fields: author, title, publisher, date, DOI/URL when applicable.
Click "Generate" and copy the formatted citation into your works-cited list.
Verify spacing and hanging indent in your document. Optionally check originality with the plagiarism checker or confirm AI usage with the AI detector.

Pro tip: Use Rephrasely’s translator if you’re citing non-English sources and need to provide translated titles in brackets. The paraphraser or composer tools can help you paraphrase source material while maintaining attribution.

Final Checklist Before Submission

All citations follow MLA 9 rules (italicization, quotation marks, punctuation).
In-text citations match the works-cited entries exactly.
Works Cited is alphabetized and uses hanging indents.
URLs or DOIs are included and tested where possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rephrasely’s MLA 9th Edition citation generator really free?

Yes. Rephrasely offers a free MLA 9th Edition citation generator suitable for students and researchers. You can generate unlimited basic citations and then copy them into your document.

Should I trust auto-generated citations without checking them?

Auto-generated citations speed work but always verify accuracy. Confirm author names, punctuation, italics, and DOI/URL correctness. Use Rephrasely’s plagiarism checker or AI detector as additional safeguards.

How do I cite a source with no author in MLA 9?

Start the works-cited entry with the title (ignore initial articles for alphabetization). In-text, use a shortened title in quotation marks: ("Reading Practice"). The free generator handles no-author entries automatically.

Free MLA 9th Edition Citation Generator: Cite Sources Instantly