MLA vs. Chicago: a side-by-side comparison
Both MLA and Chicago dominate humanities citation, but they look very different on the page. MLA uses parenthetical author-page markers and a Works Cited list; Chicago notes-bibliography uses footnotes and a separate bibliography. This guide compares them rule by rule. Our citation generator outputs both formats from any source.
When the humanities use which
MLA and Chicago are the two dominant citation styles in the humanities. They split along disciplinary lines: MLA is the standard in English, modern languages, and literary studies; Chicago dominates history, art history, philosophy, and religion.
Chicago has two flavors — notes-bibliography (the canonical humanities form) and author-date (used in social sciences). When humanities scholars say "Chicago" they almost always mean notes-bibliography.
How citations appear in the text
Bishop describes the moose in the bus aisle as "homely as a house" (12).
Bishop describes the moose in the bus aisle as "homely as a house."1
MLA uses parenthetical author-page markers; Chicago NB uses superscript note numbers tied to footnotes (or endnotes) at the bottom of the page. The visual difference between the two systems on the page is immediate.
First citation example
Bishop, Elizabeth. "The Moose." Geography III, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976, pp. 12–18.
1. Elizabeth Bishop, "The Moose," in Geography III (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976), 12.
Both contain the same bibliographic information; the punctuation, parentheses, and page-reference style differ. MLA uses commas; Chicago NB notes use commas in different positions and add parentheses around the publisher.
Subsequent citations
MLA repeats the parenthetical: (Bishop 14) for a quote from page 14. Chicago NB uses a shortened note: 2. Bishop, "The Moose," 14.
Works Cited vs. Bibliography
MLA papers end with a Works Cited list — every cited source. Chicago NB papers end with a Bibliography — every source consulted, not just cited.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. Pantheon Books, 1978.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books, 1978.
The Chicago bibliography form is closer to the body of a footnote, with periods replacing commas and the publication city before the publisher.
Page numbers
MLA requires page numbers for both quotes and paraphrases ("works cited at the page" is a core principle). Chicago NB also expects pages in footnotes for any specific claim. Where they differ: MLA puts pages in parentheses inline; Chicago puts them at the end of the footnote.
Said argues that "the Orient was almost a European invention" (1).
1. Said writes that "the Orient was almost a European invention."1 ↳ 1. Edward Said, Orientalism (New York: Pantheon, 1978), 1.
Quick comparison table
| Feature | MLA 9 | Chicago NB |
|---|---|---|
| In-text marker | (Author Page) | Superscript note number |
| End-of-paper list | Works Cited | Bibliography |
| Article titles | Title case, in quotes | Headline case, in quotes |
| Place of publication for books | Not required | Required |
| Author's full name | First Last | First Last (notes); Last, First (bib) |
| Page numbers | Required for every cite | Required in footnotes for specific claims |
| Subsequent cites | Same parenthetical form | Shortened note |
When to use MLA over Chicago (and vice versa)
Use MLA when you are writing about a specific text — a poem, a novel, a film. The author-page format keeps you tightly tethered to the page being analyzed.
Use Chicago NB when your work involves many sources of mixed type — primary documents, archival material, secondary literature, interviews. Footnotes give you space for discursive commentary that an in-text parenthetical cannot.
If your discipline doesn't impose one, the choice often comes down to whether you want page-bottom notes (Chicago) or a clean reading surface (MLA).
Summary
| Feature | MLA | Chicago NB |
|---|---|---|
| Citation marker | Parenthetical (Author Page) | Footnote/endnote number |
| End-of-paper list | Works Cited | Bibliography |
| Best for | Literature, languages, film | History, art history, philosophy |
| Subsequent citations | Repeat the parenthetical | Shortened footnote |
| Place of publication | Not required | Required |
| Discursive notes | Optional content notes | Built into the citation system |
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