The Super Secret Code: Citing a Speech in Chicago Footnote Style (A Totally Chill Guide)
What’s up, squad? You've just watched the most epic speech—maybe it was a mind-blowing TED Talk , or maybe a super serious President talking about aliens (we wish!). Now, your teacher, who probably listens to classical music and wears tweed, says you have to "cite" it using Chicago Footnote Style.
It sounds like a secret society's initiation ritual, but trust me, it’s just a fancy way of saying, "Tell me exactly where you got that info, NERD." (But in a nice, academic way). Think of the Chicago Footnote as a GPS coordinate for your brain juice.
We're going to break down this citation monster into tiny, bite-sized, totally doable steps. Put on your detective hats, fam, because we're about to hunt down some info!
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| How To Cite A Speech Chicago Footnote |
Step 1: Hunting for the Main Character (The Speaker)
Every speech has a main character! That's the person whose voice box was doing all the heavy lifting. This part is easy peasy lemon squeezy.
1.1 The Speaker's Name—Backwards!
In a footnote, we don't start with the person's first name, then their last name. Nope. Chicago style wants you to do a little hocus pocus. You flip it!
Normal: Taylor Swift
Chicago Footnote Swag: Swift, Taylor
Why? Don't ask. They just like to be dramatic. It's their secret handshake.
1.2 No Full Stops Yet!
After the name, you don’t put a period. This is a footnote, not a sentence that’s finished! We're putting a comma (,) instead. It's like saying, "Hold up, there's more coming!"
Step 2: Giving the Speech Its Proper Title Vibe
Every cool speech has a cool title. This is where you tell your teacher what the speech was called.
Tip: Focus on one point at a time.
2.1 The Title—Italics or "Quotation Marks"?
This is where things get wild. You need to check where the speech was found:
If it's a standalone thing (like a whole book or a podcast series): Use italics. (Less common for speeches, but possible!)
If it’s a tiny part of a bigger thing (like a video on a platform, or an article in a newspaper): Use "Quotation Marks". This is the most common for online speeches (e.g., YouTube, TED).
Example: If you watched a TED Talk titled "The Secret Life of Socks," you'd write: "The Secret Life of Socks,"
2.2 Capitalizing the Cool Way
Chicago style uses "headline capitalization." This means the first word and all the important words (like nouns, verbs, adjectives) are capitalized. Small words like a, an, the, and, of, for stay tiny and lowercase, unless they're the very first word.
Step 3: Where the Magic Happened (The Source and Details)
Now we're diving into the deets—where did this speech live? Was it on YouTube? At a big conference? On a dusty old VHS tape? (JK, nobody uses those anymore).
3.1 The Event and Location—Name Drop Central
If the speech was part of a major event, you gotta shout out the event name!
Format: Address, Event Name, Location of Speech,
Example (for a formal speech): Address, Conference on Tiny Robots, Chicago, IL,
Example (for a TED Talk): TED Talk, (The event is literally "TED Talk.")
3.2 The Date—The Time Stamp of History
You need the date the speech was given, not when the video was uploaded (though sometimes they are the same!). Chicago style likes its dates in a Month Day, Year format.
Tip: Reading in chunks improves focus.
Example: September 26, 2025,
3.3 The Platform—The Digital Hangout Spot
If you found it online, you need to say where. This is where you tell the world if you were scrolling TikTok or if you were on a legit academic database.
Most Common: YouTube or TED or the name of the organization's website.
Follow it up with a comma!
3.4 The Super Important URL—The Final Destination
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You gotta drop the URL (the web address) so your teacher can click it and see the evidence! BUT, in a footnote, we stick the word "accessed" right before the date you looked at it.
Example: accessed September 26, 2025, URL. (Note the period at the end—you’re finally done!)
Step 4: Putting the Jumbled Pieces Together (The Final Footnote)
This is the moment of truth! You take all those little pieces of data and string them together like a super fancy, academic necklace.
The Formula for an Online Video Speech (The Most Common)
First Name Last Name, "Title of Speech in Quotation Marks," (if applicable, Event Name, Date of Speech), video, Platform/Website, accessed Date You Looked At It, URL.
The Ultimate Example:
Let's say you are citing Oprah Winfrey's commencement speech called "Live Your Best Life" given at Harvard University on May 30, 2013, and you watched the video on YouTube.
The Final Footnote (It looks like a single, glorious sentence!):
Tip: Stop when you find something useful.
Oprah Winfrey, "Live Your Best Life," Commencement Address, Harvard University, May 30, 2013, video, YouTube, accessed September 26, 2025,
https://youtube.com/oprahspeechstuff
Frequently Asked Questions (Your Quick Fixes!)
How to deal with a speech that doesn't have a title?
If the speech doesn't have a formal title, you gotta make one up, but keep it simple! Put a short description like "Speech given in Parliament" in those quotation marks instead of a title. This is called a descriptive title and it helps people know what you're talking about.
How to cite a speech I read in a book?
If you read the speech in a collection or book, you treat the speech like a chapter. You'd cite the speaker, the title of the speech, and then use the word "in" followed by the details of the book (Book Title, Editor, Publication City: Publisher, Year, Page Number).
How to cite a commencement speech in Chicago?
Cite it just like any other speech, but in the 'Event' section (Step 3.1), make sure you clearly state it was a Commencement Address and list the University and Date clearly.
How to format the date in a Chicago footnote?
Chicago style for footnotes is usually Month Day, Year (e.g., May 30, 2013). You don't use superscripts like 'st,' 'nd,' 'th.' Keep it clean!
How to handle a speech where the speaker is unknown?
QuickTip: Repetition reinforces learning.
If the speaker is truly unknown (like an old anonymous recording), you skip the speaker's name (Step 1) and start the footnote directly with the Title of the speech.
How to cite a specific line or quote from the speech?
Right at the very end of your full footnote citation, put a comma and then include the time range where the quote appears. Example: , 2:35-2:45. (This tells them it’s between 2 minutes 35 seconds and 2 minutes 45 seconds).
How to create the 'shorthand' footnote after the first time?
The first citation is the epic one. After that, you're lazy! For every citation after the first, you only need the Speaker's Last Name, a shortened Title (like just the first few words), and the specific page/time stamp. Example: 2. Winfrey, "Live Your Best Life," 3:01.
How to know when to use italics versus "quotation marks"?
Use "Quotation Marks" for things that are part of a bigger thing (like a speech in a video, an essay in a book, or an article in a magazine). Use Italics for the big things themselves (like the full book title, the magazine title, or the whole album title).
How to cite a TED Talk specifically?
Follow the main steps! In the 'Event' section (3.1), simply put TED Talk, and in the platform section (3.3), you can list either TED.com or YouTube, depending on where you watched it.
How to cite a personal conversation or interview with a person?
That’s not a published speech, so it’s way easier! You usually skip the footnote and just mention it in your paper's text, like: "In a personal conversation with Aunt Mildred on May 5, 2025, she mentioned..." No need for a formal Chicago footnote.
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