You've finished writing your paper. You've checked your argument, revised your thesis, and polished your conclusion. Then you wonder: Wait — is my font even right? It's a small detail that carries surprising weight. Submitting a paper with the wrong font or size can cost you points, make your work look unprofessional, or signal to your professor that you didn't follow instructions carefully.
This guide covers everything you need to know about MLA format font and size — clearly, quickly, and without the jargon.
What Font Size Is MLA Format?
According to the MLA Handbook (9th edition), the standard MLA format font size is 12 points. That's it. No 11-point workarounds, no 13-point tricks to stretch your page count — just clean, readable 12pt text throughout the entire document.
This applies to:
- Your main body text
- Your header (name, instructor, course, date)
- Your title
- Your Works Cited page
- Block quotations
- Footnotes and endnotes (though these may sometimes be set to 10pt — check with your instructor)
The goal of standardizing font size is readability and consistency. When every paper in a class follows the same rules, instructors can evaluate content fairly without being distracted by formatting differences.
What Font Does MLA Format Use?
Here's where students often get tripped up. The MLA Handbook does not mandate a single specific typeface. Instead, it asks for a font that is:
- Readable — easy on the eyes at 12pt
- Standard — widely available and recognizable
- Distinguishable — regular text should look noticeably different from italicized text
In practice, the overwhelming default choice — and the one most instructors expect — is Times New Roman. It's the academic standard for a reason: it's clean, compact, and universally available.
Other fonts that are generally acceptable under MLA guidelines include:
- Arial — a sans-serif option that's clean and modern
- Georgia — a serif font designed for readability on screens
- Courier New — a monospaced font, less common but sometimes used in specific disciplines
When in doubt, use Times New Roman 12pt. Unless your instructor specifies otherwise, this is the safest and most widely accepted choice for any MLA-formatted paper.
MLA Format Font and Size: The Full Formatting Picture
Font and size are just two pieces of the MLA formatting puzzle. To make sure your paper is fully compliant, here's a quick overview of the core MLA format requirements:
- Font: Times New Roman (or another readable, standard font)
- Font size: 12pt throughout
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides
- Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including the Works Cited page
- Paragraph indentation: First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches (one Tab press)
- Header: Your last name and page number in the top-right corner of every page
- Heading block: Your name, instructor's name, course name, and date — double-spaced, flush left, on the first page
- Title: Centered, in title case, with no bold, underline, or extra-large font
- Works Cited: New page, centered title, hanging indent for each entry
Notice that the title of your paper uses the same 12pt font as everything else — no enlarging it to make it stand out. MLA keeps things uniform.
Common Font Mistakes Students Make in MLA Papers
Using the Wrong Default Font
Many word processors (including newer versions of Microsoft Word and Google Docs) default to fonts like Calibri 11pt. This is not MLA compliant. Before you start writing — or before you submit — check your font settings and switch to Times New Roman 12pt.
Making the Title Bigger
It's tempting to bump the title up to 14pt or 16pt to make your paper look more polished. Resist the urge. MLA format requires the title to be the same size as the body text: 12pt, centered, no special formatting.
Shrinking Font to Hit Page Length
Dropping to 11pt to sneak under a page minimum is a classic move — and one most professors spot immediately. Stick to 12pt and focus on strengthening your content instead.
Inconsistent Font Throughout the Document
Copying and pasting text from other sources can accidentally import different fonts or sizes. Always paste as plain text, or use your word processor's "Clear Formatting" option to keep everything consistent.
How to Set MLA Font and Size in Microsoft Word and Google Docs
In Microsoft Word
- Press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) to select all text
- In the Home tab, open the Font dropdown and select Times New Roman
- Set the font size to 12
- Go to Format → Paragraph → Line Spacing and set to Double
- Set all margins to 1 inch via Layout → Margins → Normal
In Google Docs
- Press Ctrl + A to select all text
- Click the font name dropdown (top toolbar) and choose Times New Roman
- Set font size to 12 using the size box
- Click the line spacing icon and select Double
- Go to File → Page Setup and confirm all margins are set to 1 inch
Pro tip: Set these as your default settings so every new document starts MLA-ready.
What About Block Quotations?
MLA block quotations — used when a quote runs more than four lines — follow the same 12pt font rule. The difference is in the formatting: block quotes are indented 0.5 inches from the left margin, with no additional quotation marks, and the parenthetical citation comes after the closing punctuation.
Example:
In her analysis of reader response theory, Smith argues that meaning is never fixed but always constructed in the act of reading, shaped as much by the reader's context as by the author's intent. (45)
The font size stays at 12pt — no shrinking the quote to save space.
Helpful Tools for Getting Your MLA Paper Right
Formatting is only part of the battle. Once your font and layout are set, it's worth making sure your citations are accurate and your writing is polished. The Citation Generator at WriteGenius can build properly formatted MLA citations for books, websites, articles, and more in seconds — no more second-guessing punctuation or order of elements.
If you want to make sure your sentences are clear and error-free before you submit, the Grammar Checker is a fast, free way to catch issues that spellcheck misses — from comma splices to subject-verb agreement errors that can undermine an otherwise strong paper.
And if you're working with a PDF source and need to annotate or reference it directly, the PDF Editor lets you highlight, comment, and work with documents without switching between multiple apps.
Quick Reference: MLA Format Font and Size at a Glance
- Font: Times New Roman (preferred), or another clear, standard font
- Font size: 12pt — everywhere, including title and Works Cited
- Line spacing: Double throughout
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides
- Paragraph indent: 0.5 inches (first line only)
- Title: Centered, 12pt, no bold or special size
- Block quotes: Indented 0.5 inches, same 12pt font, no quotation marks
The Bottom Line
MLA format font size is 12pt, and the go-to font is Times New Roman. These aren't arbitrary rules — they exist to create a level playing field where your ideas do the talking, not your formatting choices. Getting these basics right takes less than two minutes to set up, and it signals to your instructor that you take your work seriously.
Set your font, check your margins, double-space your document, and then focus on what actually matters: writing something worth reading.