What Font Is MLA Format? Academic Typography

MLA format uses Times New Roman at 12-point size as its standard recommended typeface. It’s a transitional serif font with moderate stroke contrast and bracketed serifs.

That said, the Modern Language Association does not actually mandate Times New Roman by name. The MLA Handbook (9th edition) says to “choose an easily readable typeface (e.g., Times New Roman)” – the “e.g.” is doing a lot of work there. Any legible, professionally appropriate font works, as long as the regular and italic versions are clearly distinct from each other.

The 12-point size requirement does apply across the board: body text, headers, citations, the Works Cited page. No exceptions.

What Type of Font Is Times New Roman?

Times New Roman is classified as a transitional serif, sitting between old-style and modern serif categories. It borrows proportions from Renaissance-era designs while adding sharper contrast between thick and thin strokes, which gives it a more crisp, authoritative feel on the page.

A few defining characteristics worth knowing about typography in this context:

• X-height: Relatively tall, which helps with readability at small print sizes
• Stroke contrast: Moderate to high, giving it that sharp “newspaper” look
• Letterfit: Condensed, meaning it fits more text per line than wider serifs like Georgia
• Stress axis: Vertical, a hallmark of transitional and modern serifs

The condensed proportions are actually why it became a newspaper font first. It was designed to pack more words per column without sacrificing legibility. That same quality made it practical for academic papers.

For a deeper look at how typography elements like x-height and stroke contrast affect readability, there’s a lot to unpack beyond just picking a font name.

Who Designed Times New Roman?

Times New Roman was commissioned by the British newspaper The Times of London in 1931. The concept and direction came from Stanley Morison, typographic adviser to the Monotype Corporation. The actual letterforms were drawn by Victor Lardent, an artist in the paper’s advertising department.

The backstory is interesting: Morison had publicly criticized The Times in 1929 for being typographically outdated and poorly printed. The paper responded by hiring him to fix the problem. Morison used the older typeface Plantin as a structural starting point, then sharpened the serifs, increased stroke contrast, and tightened the overall proportions.

The typeface first appeared in The Times on October 3, 1932, and was released commercially by Monotype the following year. Microsoft licensed it from Monotype and bundled it with Windows 3.1 in 1992. That single decision is largely why it became the default font for academic writing worldwide.

Worth noting: the font’s origins are slightly contested. Printing historian Mike Parker argued in 1994 that the design drew from earlier drawings by William Starling Burgess (1904). Monotype and The Times continue to credit Morison and Lardent as the primary creators.

Is Times New Roman Free to Use?

This is where things get tricky. Times New Roman is a proprietary font owned by Monotype. It’s not free for all uses.

Here’s the practical breakdown:

• Microsoft Word / Windows users: The font is bundled with the OS and Office suite. For typical academic paper use, you’re covered under the existing license.
• Google Docs users: Times New Roman is available in Docs, but the licensing terms for embedded use in PDFs or published documents are less clear-cut.
• Commercial / publishing use: If you’re embedding the font in an ebook, distributing a PDF commercially, or using it in design software like Canva or Affinity, you likely need a separate commercial license from Monotype.

For a student writing an academic paper, this almost never comes up in practice. But if you’re a designer or publisher, it matters.

If you want a genuinely free alternative with identical metrics, TeX Gyre Termes and Tinos (Google Fonts) are metrically compatible, meaning switching won’t change your document’s line breaks or page count. Both are available under open-source licenses.

What Are the Best Free Alternatives to Times New Roman for MLA Papers?

The MLA Handbook allows any readable, legible typeface. These are the most practical free options that instructors typically accept without pushback:

Georgia is probably the safest swap. Most instructors recognize it immediately as a standard academic font. Use 11pt Georgia if you’re matching the visual weight of 12pt Times New Roman.

If you’re curious about how these stack up more broadly, the guide on the best fonts for academic papers goes into more depth on this specific use case.

What Other Fonts Are Acceptable in MLA Format?

The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook was updated to explicitly allow more font options than earlier editions did. The key requirement is that the font must have a clear, visible difference between regular and italic styles.

Commonly accepted alternatives beyond Times New Roman:

• Arial 11pt – a clean, widely available sans-serif font; works fine in MLA as long as italics are visually distinct
• Calibri 11pt – the current Microsoft Word default; acceptable but some instructors still reject it as “too informal”
• Georgia 11pt – a reliable serif choice with better screen rendering than Times New Roman
• Garamond 12pt – an older, more classical serif that reads well in print
• Lucida Sans Unicode 10pt – less common, but listed as acceptable in some institutional guides

One thing that trips people up: font size recommendations vary by typeface. Times New Roman at 12pt looks similar in size to Calibri at 11pt or Arial at 11pt. That’s intentional. The MLA’s concern is visual consistency, not hitting an exact number.

How to Set Up Your MLA Font in Microsoft Word and Google Docs

In Microsoft Word

Open your document and press Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac) to select all text.

Go to the Home tab. Set the font dropdown to Times New Roman and the size to 12. Then open Paragraph settings and set line spacing to Double.

If you want this as your default for future documents, click the small arrow in the Font group to open Font settings, choose your options, and hit “Set As Default.”

In Google Docs

Click the font dropdown in the toolbar (it usually shows “Arial” by default). Type “Times New Roman” to search for it. Set the size to 12pt.

For line spacing: Format > Line and paragraph spacing > Double.

If Times New Roman doesn’t appear, you can add it through “More fonts” in the font dropdown. It’s listed there and adds instantly. More details on this in the full guide on how to add fonts to Google Docs.

Why Did MLA Settle on Times New Roman?

The short answer: ubiquity. By the time MLA style guides began recommending specific fonts in the digital era, Times New Roman was already the default body text font in Microsoft Word. It was pre-installed on virtually every Windows and Mac computer in use at academic institutions.

Instructors knew what it looked like. Students had it available. It printed cleanly on any printer. That combination made it a natural standard.

There’s also a functional argument. The MLA’s core requirement isn’t the font itself – it’s that the typeface has a clear distinction between regular and italic styles. This matters because MLA papers rely heavily on italics to indicate titles of longer works (books, films, journals). A font where the italic barely differs from the roman would make citations harder to parse at a glance.

Times New Roman’s italic is notably distinct from its roman – more so than many sans-serif alternatives. That quality, combined with its near-universal availability, is why it became the reference point for the MLA’s font guidance, even though the organization never formally required it by name.

Worth noting: the MLA has never specified a preferred font based on aesthetics or brand identity. It’s purely practical. The psychology behind font choices in academic contexts is different from branding – readers aren’t supposed to notice the typeface at all.

Full MLA Formatting Requirements (Beyond the Font)

Font choice is just one part of proper MLA formatting. Here’s the complete setup most instructors expect:

The Works Cited page follows the same font rules as the rest of the paper. No switching to a smaller size to fit more citations on the page – that’s a common mistake and instructors notice it.

If you’re formatting a paper in a design tool rather than a word processor, understanding leading in typography and tracking becomes relevant. “Double spacing” in MLA terms roughly corresponds to about 200% line height, and tracking should be left at the default – never adjusted to pad length.

FAQ on The What Font Is Used In MLA Format

Does MLA require Times New Roman specifically?

No. The MLA Handbook (9th edition) lists Times New Roman as an example, not a requirement.

Any readable typeface with a clear distinction between regular and italic styles is acceptable. Your instructor’s preference ultimately takes priority.

What font size does MLA format require?

12-point is the standard for Times New Roman. Other accepted fonts like Calibri or Arial use 11pt, and Lucida Sans Unicode uses 10pt.

The goal is consistent visual weight across the document, not hitting a specific number.

Can I use Calibri for an MLA paper?

Yes, Calibri at 11pt is listed as an acceptable MLA font. It’s a clean sans-serif with a clear italic variant.

Some instructors still prefer Times New Roman, so check before submitting.

Is Georgia an acceptable font for MLA format?

Yes. Georgia is a transitional serif font with strong readability and a distinct italic style. It meets all MLA font requirements.

Use it at 11pt to match the visual size of 12pt Times New Roman.

Does the Works Cited page use the same font?

Yes. The same font and size applies throughout the entire document, including the Works Cited page, headers, and block quotations.

Switching fonts or sizes on the bibliography is a formatting error.

Can I use Arial for an MLA paper?

Arial at 11pt is acceptable under MLA 9th edition guidelines. It’s a standard sans-serif font with legible italics.

That said, many humanities instructors expect a serif typeface. When in doubt, use Times New Roman.

What font does MLA use for headings?

MLA does not use a separate typographic hierarchy for headings. The same font and 12-point size apply to all text levels.

Bold or italic styling can signal heading levels, but the typeface stays consistent.

Is it okay to use Garamond for MLA format?

Yes. Garamond is an old-style serif with strong print legibility and a clear regular-to-italic contrast. It meets MLA’s core readability requirements.

It reads slightly more formal than Times New Roman, which works well for humanities papers.

What happens if I use the wrong font in an MLA paper?

Most instructors will ask you to reformat. In graded work, it can affect your formatting score, especially in courses that evaluate font and document setup explicitly.

It rarely fails a paper outright, but it signals carelessness.

Do MLA font rules apply to digital submissions?

Yes. Whether you’re submitting a printed paper or a PDF via a learning management system, the same font requirements apply.

Embedding fonts correctly in your exported file ensures the formatting appears as intended on any device.

Conclusion

Knowing what font is used in MLA format comes down to one practical answer: Times New Roman at 12-point, double-spaced, with one-inch margins across the board.

But the MLA Handbook (9th edition) gives you room to work with other readable typefaces – Georgia, Calibri, Arial – as long as the regular and italic styles are clearly distinct.

Font consistency across body text, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page is non-negotiable. Get that right, and the academic paper font requirements are handled.

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008.

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