APA vs. MLA: which citation style should you use?
APA and MLA are the two citation styles you're most likely to be assigned in college — but they're used in different disciplines and follow different rules. This guide walks through the differences side by side, with a quick decision table by discipline. Our free citation generator handles both APA 7 and MLA 9 — paste a DOI or URL and switch formats with one click.
Which style does your discipline use?
APA and MLA are the two most-assigned citation styles in North American higher education. The choice between them is almost always made for you — by your instructor, journal, or department.
Use APA in psychology, education, sociology, social work, nursing, business, communication, and the empirical social sciences. Use MLA in English, comparative literature, modern languages, cultural studies, film studies, and the broader humanities.
A safe rule of thumb: if your paper involves data analysis or hypothesis testing, expect APA. If it involves close reading of texts, expect MLA. Disciplines like history and philosophy often use a third option — see our APA vs. Chicago guide for that comparison.
In-text citation format
Both styles use parenthetical citations, but the second element differs: APA cites the year; MLA cites the page.
Cognitive load shapes learning outcomes (Sweller, 1988).
"Working memory is severely capacity-limited" (Sweller, 1988, p. 257).
Cognitive load shapes learning outcomes (Sweller 257).
"Working memory is severely capacity-limited" (Sweller 257).
APA only requires the page number for direct quotations. MLA requires the page number every time you cite the source — paraphrase or quote. The author-page format is what makes MLA visually distinct from every author-date system.
Reference list vs. Works Cited
APA calls the bibliography a References list. MLA calls it Works Cited. The headings are not interchangeable — the wrong one signals the wrong style at first glance.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
Sweller, John. "Cognitive Load during Problem Solving: Effects on Learning." Cognitive Science, vol. 12, no. 2, 1988, pp. 257–85. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4.
Three key differences are visible in those two examples: APA places the year right after the author; MLA places it deep in the citation. APA uses sentence case for article titles; MLA uses title case. APA uses initials only; MLA uses full first names.
Title capitalization
APA uses sentence case for article and book titles in the reference list — only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalized. MLA uses title case — most content words are capitalized, following the rules in section 6.10 of the MLA Handbook.
The interpretation of dreams: A study in symbolism
The Interpretation of Dreams: A Study in Symbolism
Manuscript formatting
| Element | APA 7 | MLA 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Required (student or pro variant) | Optional — most papers use a header on page 1 |
| Running head | Pro variant only | Last name + page number, top right of every page |
| Spacing | Double-spaced throughout | Double-spaced throughout |
| Font | Times New Roman 12, Calibri 11, Arial 11, etc. | Times New Roman 12 (recommended) |
| Headings | Five-level system | Optional — no formal hierarchy required |
Quick decision table by discipline
| Discipline | Default style |
|---|---|
| Psychology, education, social work | APA |
| Sociology, political science, communication | APA |
| Nursing, public health | APA |
| Business and management | APA |
| English, comparative literature | MLA |
| Modern languages and linguistics | MLA |
| Cultural studies, film, media studies | MLA |
| History | Chicago (not APA or MLA) |
| Philosophy | Chicago or MLA, varies |
| Engineering, computer science | IEEE (not APA or MLA) |
Common mistakes when switching
Mixing the two styles
The most common mistake is using APA in-text citations with an MLA Works Cited list, or vice versa. Pick one style and apply it consistently across the entire paper.
Wrong title capitalization
Importing APA-style sentence case into an MLA Works Cited (or vice versa) is a common slip when reformatting an old paper. Title case in the reference list is the most visible MLA marker; sentence case is the most visible APA marker.
Heading mismatch
Calling your APA bibliography "Works Cited" or your MLA bibliography "References" is a quick giveaway. The label has to match the in-text format.
Summary
| Feature | APA | MLA |
|---|---|---|
| In-text format | (Author, Year) | (Author Page) |
| List heading | References | Works Cited |
| Year placement | Right after author | Deep in the entry |
| Article titles | Sentence case, no quotes | Title case, in quotes |
| Multiple authors connector | & in parens, and in text | and everywhere |
| Best for | Social and behavioral sciences | Humanities and literary studies |
Switching between APA and MLA on the same paper? Our citation generator outputs both formats from one source — no manual reformatting required.
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