Posted on by Krista LeMoine

MLA Format Template (with MLA Font Options)

If you’re writing about language, culture, or ideas (rather than experiments or data), MLA is usually the format you’ll be asked to use.

Why is MLA Format Important?

  • Consistency: It gives academic papers a uniform structure, so readers can easily follow arguments, sources, and citations without confusion.
  • Credibility: Proper formatting shows you respect academic standards, making your work look more professional and trustworthy.
  • Avoids Plagiarism: MLA’s citation rules help writers properly credit original authors, avoiding accidental plagiarism.
  • Ease of Reading: MLA accepted fonts, structured headings, citations, and Works Cited pages make papers easier to read and verify.

Who Uses MLA Format the Most?

  • Students in Humanities Fields:
    • English (especially literature and writing classes)
    • Philosophy
    • Modern Languages (e.g., Spanish, French)
    • Cultural Studies
    • Media and Communication Studies
  • Teachers and Scholars publishing in arts and humanities journals often also use MLA style.

Acceptable MLA Format Fonts

There are multiple MLA accepted fonts available to use, as long as they are legible and professional. The MLA Handbook (9th edition) does not require a specific font, but it does recommend a readable typeface such as:

  • Times New Roman (12 pt) — most commonly used and widely accepted.
  • Arial (11 pt)
  • Calibri (11 pt)
  • Georgia (11 pt)
  • Lucida Sans Unicode (11 pt)

The key MLA font requirements are:

  • The font must be easy to read.
  • It should have distinguishable italics (especially for titles of works).
  • The same font must be used consistently throughout the paper, including headers, page numbers, and citations.

MLA Format Template

For a quick reference, see below for the outlined specifications and formatting of a MLA paper. Or if you prefer a downloadable template, we have that available for you as well. 

[Your Name]
[Instructor's Name]
[Course Name or Number]
[Date in Day Month Year Format]
                      Title of Your Paper (Centered, Not Bold or Underlined)

 Start your paper with a half-inch indent at the beginning of each paragraph. Use double-spacing throughout your paper, including quotations, notes, and the works cited page. Keep the font consistent—
usually Times New Roman 12 pt, though other readable fonts like Calibri or Arial are also acceptable if your 
instructor allows it. Margins should be 1 inch on all sides. Use left alignment and do not justify text.

     When citing sources in-text, include the author's last name and page number (Smith 23). For a Works Cited 
page, begin a new page at the end of your paper and list entries alphabetically by author’s last name.

Header & Pagination (top-right corner):

Your last name and page number should appear in the top-right corner of every page, including the first.
Example:

Smith 1

Works Cited Example

Works Cited

Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Penguin Books, 2020.

Williams, Sarah. "The Evolution of Style." Modern Literary Review, vol. 12, no. 3, 2018, pp. 45–62.

Final Thoughts

Happy writing on your MLA-formatted paper! Whether you’re just getting started or putting the final touches on your work, we wish you a smooth and productive writing process. If you need any additional guidance, proofreading, or writing support along the way, Essay24’s team of experts is always here to help you succeed.