How to Cite a Speech in APA 

The American Psychological Association (APA) requires four elements within a complete citation. 

  • Author: Name of the person who wrote the speech, the book, or created the webpage. 
  • Date: Date the information was published. 
  • Title: Name of the book, article, or speech.
  • Source: Organization that published the material. 

Speech in Book 

When you locate a speech, it is important to be clear about the authorship of the resource itself. There are instances when the author of the book and the speaker may be the same person, but more often, the book will be attributed to a different author or editor. 

Citation
Goodwin, D. K. (2005). Team of rivals: The political genius of Abraham Lincoln. Simon & Schuster. 
Structure
Surname, Initials. (Date). Title of book. Publisher. 

Speech in a Journal

If a speech is included in a journal or article, you will need to locate additional information related to the volume, issue, and pages in the corresponding publication.

Citation
Schlinger, H. D. (2021). The impact of B.F. Skinner’s science of operant learning on early childhood research, theory, treatment, and care. Early Childhood Development and Care, 191(7), 1089-1106. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1855155
Structure
Surname, Initials. (Date). Title of Article. Title of Journal, Volume(issue), page numbers. DOI

Live Speech

When attending a conference or lecture, you will follow the guidelines included below. If the speech or lecture is found in printed form, you should follow the citation requirements for the journal or book in which they appear. Include the full Dates of a conference, even though the presentation only occurred on one day. 

Citation
Bommarito, S. (2026, January 31-February 3). Beyond balanced literacy: Teaching reading – a nuanced view [Conference session]. Literacy Council of North America National Conference, Worthington, OH, United States. https://literacyconference.org/sessions/
Structure
Surname, Initial. (full conference Date). Title [Session Type]. Conference Name, City, State, Country. URL

Recording of a Speech 

With increased access to recorded materials, you will need to locate a trustworthy website to allow you to create an accurate citation. If the sites are TED Talks or Youtube, please see the next section. 

Citation
Kennedy, J. F. K. (1961, January 20). President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address [Speech audio-visual recording]. The Kennedy Center. https://www.kennedy-center.org/video/center/history/jfk-inauguration -speech/
Structure
Surname, Initials. (full Date). Title [Type of recording]. Organization. URL

Speech from TED Talk or Youtube 

Two of the most common locations for speeches are TED Talks and Youtube. Pay careful attention to the current location, because this will impact whether the citation includes the author or the account owner. 

Citation
Goodall, J. (2021, March). Jane Goodall on leadership lessons from primates [Transcript]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/pages/jane-goodall-leadership-lessons-from-primates-transcript 
Structure
Surname, Initials. (Date). Title [Format]. Platform. URL
Citation
Tyson, N. D. [Star Talk]. (2026, February 19). What are the points of Lagrange [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8TrdglGJSo 
Structure
Surname, Initials [Channel Name]. (Date). Title [Format]. Platform. URL 

When you include content from a speech in your research, you are using it as a primary source document. It is important to remember that you might reference the speaker by name, but your in-text or parenthetical citations should reference the author of the published source you selected. 

Even speeches that are well-known or historical enough that they are part of the common vernacular should be properly cited in your research and included in the References section. 

Following APA guidelines, the title portion of a reference will use a sentence case. The only exceptions are words immediately following punctuation or proper nouns.

GIVE YOUR CITATIONS A BOOST TODAY

Start your TypeCite Boost 3 day free trial today. Then just $4.99 per month to save your citations, organize in projects, and much more.

SIGN UP
Rebecca Cahill

Rebecca Cahill is an assistant principal in the U.S. who works with students across diverse educational disciplines, providing guidance in research, academic writing, and citation. She supports learners at all levels, from young adults beginning with research skills to adults pursuing advanced degrees.

Learn how to cite in APA