APA format checker (7th edition)

Paste your essay, lab report or thesis chapter. The checker marks every APA 7 citation, number, punctuation and bias-free language problem in the text, explains the rule, and fixes the unambiguous ones in one click.

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APA Style · 7th edition (2020)

Recent studies suggests that sleep quality affects memory consolidation in undergraduate students. Walker and Stickgold, 2004 found that subjects¹ who slept after learning recalled twelve² percent more word pairs than those who stayed awake (Walker and Stickgold, 2004³). The data shows⁴ a similar pattern in adolescents, e.g.⁵ those aged 13-17⁶ (Carskadon et al⁷ 2011). ⁸Each participant completed 3⁹ questionnaires, a sleep diary and an actigraphy watch. As Diekelmann & Born (2010)¹⁰ note, "sleep is a state that optimizes the consolidation of newly acquired information" (Diekelmann & Born, 2010)¹¹. When a student reports poor sleep, he or she¹² may also report lower grades, and you¹³ can't¹⁴ separate the two easily.

101 words · 6 sentences · 32 APA rules checked

4errors

4warnings

6notes

1
“subjects” for people
“subjects” → “participants”
APA 7 prefers “participants” (or a specific term such as “students”) for people in research.
2
Spelled-out number 10 or above
“twelve” → “12”
APA uses numerals for 10 and above (unless the number starts a sentence).
3
“and” inside a parenthetical citation
“(Walker and Stickgold, 2004” → “(Walker & Stickgold, 2004”
APA uses an ampersand (&) between author names inside parentheses.
4
“data” as singular
“data shows” → “data show”
APA treats “data” as plural: the data are, the data show.
5
Comma after e.g. / i.e.
“e.g.” → “e.g.,”
APA and Chicago follow “e.g.” and “i.e.” with a comma.
6
Hyphen in a number range
“13-17” → “13–17”
Number and page ranges take an en dash (–), not a hyphen.
7
Malformed “et al.”
“et al” → “et al.”
“et” is a whole Latin word (no period); “al.” is an abbreviation (period required).
8
Two spaces after punctuation
“. ” → “. ”
All four guides now use one space after a full stop or other punctuation.
9
Numeral below 10
“3” → “three”
APA spells out zero to nine, except with units of measurement, statistics, ages, times, dates, scores and percentages.
10
Ampersand in a narrative citation
“Diekelmann & Born (2010)” → “Diekelmann and Born (2010)”
In running text APA spells out “and”: Smith and Jones (2020).
11
Direct quotation without a page number
“"sleep is a state that optimizes the consolidation of newly acquired information" (Diekelmann & Born, 2010)” → “"sleep is a state that optimizes the consolidation of newly acquired information" (Diekelmann & Born, 2010, p. X)”
APA requires a page (or paragraph) locator for every direct quotation.
12
Binary pronoun pair
“he or she” → “they”
APA 7 endorses singular “they”; MLA and Chicago accept it too.
13
Second person
“you”
Research papers rarely address the reader as “you”; rephrase in third person.
14
Contraction
“can't”
Academic styles expect contractions to be written out (do not, it is).

AI style review

A second read by an AI editor briefed on APA Style: judgment calls the rules can’t make, such as clarity, bias-free wording and citation placement.

What the APA 7 rules actually say

Most points lost to “APA formatting” are not about margins; they are small, repeated mechanical slips in the text itself. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed., 2020) is specific about all of them, which is what makes them checkable.

In-text citations

A parenthetical citation gives the author’s surname and the year, separated by a comma: (Nguyen, 2021). Two authors are joined by an ampersand inside parentheses (Walker & Stickgold, 2004) but by “and” in running text: Walker and Stickgold (2004). Three or more authors become “et al.” from the first citation. A direct quotation always needs a locator: (Diekelmann & Born, 2010, p. 114). The citation belongs inside the sentence, so the period comes after the closing parenthesis. See the APA in-text citation guide for every variation.

Numbers

Words for zero to nine, numerals for 10 and above, with exceptions for measurements, statistics, percentages and ages: “three questionnaires” but “3 cm”, “12 participants”, “45%”. A number that starts a sentence is always spelled out, or the sentence is rewritten.

Bias-free language

APA 7 endorses the singular “they”, prefers “participants” to “subjects”, “older adults” to “the elderly”, and person-first or identity-first language as the community prefers. The checker flags the common outdated forms; the AI review can catch subtler cases.

What it does not check

Title page, running head, 1-inch margins, double spacing and the 12-point font are document settings. They cannot be seen in pasted text, so check them in your word processor. Heading levels are covered in the APA headings guide.

What this checker looks for

Every APA rule the engine applies, grouped as a copy editor would.

Mechanics

Two spaces after punctuation. All four guides now use one space after a full stop or other punctuation.
Space before punctuation. Punctuation attaches to the preceding word in English.
Repeated word. The same word appears twice in a row, usually a typing slip.
Comma after e.g. / i.e.. APA and Chicago follow “e.g.” and “i.e.” with a comma.
Abbreviation missing periods. Write “e.g.” and “i.e.” with periods in US styles.
Latin abbreviation in running text. APA uses e.g., i.e., etc., cf. and vs. only inside parentheses; in running text write “for example”, “that is”, “and so on”, “compare” or “versus”.
Hyphen in a number range. Number and page ranges take an en dash (–), not a hyphen.
Double hyphen as a dash. Use a true em dash (—). APA, MLA and Chicago close it up; AP puts a space on each side.
Spaced em dash. APA, MLA and Chicago set the em dash closed, with no spaces.
Ampersand in running text. Spell out “and” in prose; APA reserves & for parenthetical citations and references.

Citations

Malformed “et al.”. “et” is a whole Latin word (no period); “al.” is an abbreviation (period required).
Sentence period before the citation. A parenthetical citation belongs inside the sentence: close the quotation, add the citation, then the period.
“Ibid.” is not used. APA and MLA use short parenthetical citations, never ibid.
“and” inside a parenthetical citation. APA uses an ampersand (&) between author names inside parentheses.
Ampersand in a narrative citation. In running text APA spells out “and”: Smith and Jones (2020).
Missing comma before the year. APA separates author and year with a comma: (Nguyen, 2021).
Non-APA page marker. APA writes “p.” for one page and “pp.” for a range.
Page number without “p.”. APA labels the locator: (Kim, 2019, p. 14).
Direct quotation without a page number. APA requires a page (or paragraph) locator for every direct quotation.

Numbers

Spelled-out number 10 or above. APA uses numerals for 10 and above (unless the number starts a sentence).
Numeral below 10. APA spells out zero to nine, except with units of measurement, statistics, ages, times, dates, scores and percentages.
“percent” after a numeral. APA uses the % symbol after numerals: 45%.

Word choice

“data” as singular. APA treats “data” as plural: the data are, the data show.
British variant. American usage prefers toward, afterward, among, while.

Bias-free language

“subjects” for people. APA 7 prefers “participants” (or a specific term such as “students”) for people in research.
Binary pronoun pair. APA 7 endorses singular “they”; MLA and Chicago accept it too.
Outdated or biased term. Current style guides recommend neutral, person-first or specific wording.

Punctuation

Missing serial (Oxford) comma. APA, MLA and Chicago all require a comma before the final “and/or” in a series of three or more.

Dates & times

Ordinal suffix in a date. Write March 3, not March 3rd.

Formality

Contraction. Academic styles expect contractions to be written out (do not, it is).
Informal wording. Colloquial phrases read as conversational in academic prose; choose a precise term.
Second person. Research papers rarely address the reader as “you”; rephrase in third person.

Questions

What does the APA format checker check?

In-text citation format (commas, ampersands, et al., p. and pp.), direct quotations without page numbers, citation placement relative to the period, APA number rules (words for zero to nine, numerals from 10), the % symbol, Latin abbreviations outside parentheses, en dashes in ranges, “data” as a plural, bias-free language such as singular “they” and “participants”, contractions and informal wording.

Does it follow APA 6 or APA 7?

APA 7 (2020). The biggest changes from APA 6 that it enforces are “et al.” from the first citation for three or more authors, singular “they”, one space after a period, and DOIs written as https://doi.org/ URLs.

When does APA spell out numbers?

Spell out zero to nine and any number that begins a sentence; use numerals for 10 and above. Numerals are also used below 10 for units of measurement, statistics, percentages, ages, times, dates, scores and points on a scale (APA 7, sections 6.32–6.34).

How do I cite a source with three or more authors in APA 7?

Use the first author’s surname plus “et al.” from the very first citation: (Carskadon et al., 2011) or Carskadon et al. (2011). The reference list still names up to 20 authors.

Can it check my reference list too?

Yes. Paste the entries into the citation checker, set it to APA, and it flags missing years, title-case titles, “Retrieved from”, old DOI formats and journal formatting problems.