🎤 How to Cite a TED Talk: APA, MLA & Chicago Style (2025 Examples)

TED Talks are powerful, inspiring, and research-worthy—but if you’re using one in your academic paper, you need to cite it correctly.

This step-by-step guide shows you how to cite a TED Talk in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, with real examples for both TED.com and YouTube videos. Whether you’re quoting Brené Brown or Simon Sinek, we’ve got you covered. 📚

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🧠 Why Cite a TED Talk?

Citing a TED Talk gives credit to the speaker, avoids plagiarism, and shows your professor or reader that you’re using credible multimedia sources.

You should cite a TED Talk if you:

• Quote the speaker directly

• Reference a statistic or idea they present

• Analyze the video content in your essay

🎓 The citation style depends on your assignment’s requirements—APA for social sciences, MLA for humanities, and Chicago for history or general writing.

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📝 How to Cite a TED Talk in APA Style (7th Edition)

APA is often used in education, psychology, and social sciences.

🎯 APA Format: TED Talk on TED.com

Speaker’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year, Month). Title of the talk [Video]. TED Conferences. URL

✅ Example:

Brown, B. (2010, June). The power of vulnerability [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability

🧾 APA In-text Citation:

(Brown, 2010)

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🎯 APA Format: TED Talk on YouTube

Speaker’s Last Name, First Initial. (Year, Month, Day). Title of the talk [Video]. TEDx Talks. YouTube. URL

✅ Example:

Sinek, S. (2009, Sept 17). How great leaders inspire action [Video]. TEDx Talks. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

🧾 APA In-text Citation:

(Sinek, 2009)

💡 Use the upload date for YouTube videos. Always include [Video] in the citation.

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📚 How to Cite a TED Talk in MLA Style (9th Edition)

MLA is used in literature, art, philosophy, and other humanities.

🎯 MLA Format: TED.com

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Talk.” TED, Month Year, www.ted.com/talks/URL.

✅ Example:

Brown, Brené. “The Power of Vulnerability.” TED, June 2010, www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability.

🧾 MLA In-text Citation:

(Brown)

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🎯 MLA Format: YouTube

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Talk.” YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, Day Month Year, URL.

✅ Example:

Sinek, Simon. “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 17 Sept. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4.

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📰 How to Cite a TED Talk in Chicago Style (17th Edition)

Chicago style has two formats: Notes & Bibliography and Author-Date. Below is the Notes & Bibliography version.

🎯 Chicago Format: TED.com (Bibliography)

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Talk.” TED Video, Month Year. https://www.ted.com/talks/URL.

✅ Example:

Brown, Brené. “The Power of Vulnerability.” TED Video, June 2010. https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability.

🧾 Footnote Format:

1. Brené Brown, “The Power of Vulnerability,” TED Video, June 2010, https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability.

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🎯 Chicago Format: YouTube

Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Talk.” YouTube video, length, posted by TEDx Talks, Day Month Year. https://www.youtube.com/URL.

✅ Example:

Sinek, Simon. “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” YouTube video, 18:03, posted by TEDx Talks, September 17, 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4.

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📋 Summary Table: TED Talk Citation Formats

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✅ Quick Tips for Citing TED Talks

• Always include speaker’s name and date if available

• Use [Video] or TED Video to clarify the format

• Italicize titles only in APA and Chicago—not MLA

• Include the exact URL where the talk can be found

• In MLA, capitalize every major word in the title (headline-style)

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🚀 Final Thoughts: Cite TED Talks the Right Way

Now you know exactly how to cite a TED Talk across APA, MLA, and Chicago styles—whether it’s hosted on TED.com or YouTube. With the right citation, you’ll enhance the credibility of your work and give proper credit to inspiring speakers. 💬🎓

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