Cooking Measurement Conversions

US customary kitchen measurements — teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, and more — converted to milliliters and liters, plus the fractions of a cup used most often in recipes.

US volume units

Based on the US customary gallon (3.785411784 L), the standard used on US measuring cups and spoons.

UnitEquivalentMetric
1 teaspoon (tsp)1/3 tablespoon4.93 mL
1 tablespoon (tbsp)3 teaspoons14.79 mL
1 fluid ounce (fl oz)2 tablespoons29.57 mL
1 cup (c)16 tablespoons / 8 fl oz236.59 mL
1 pint (pt)2 cups473.18 mL
1 quart (qt)2 pints / 4 cups946.35 mL
1 gallon (gal)4 quarts / 16 cups3.79 L

Common recipe fractions

How much of a cup, in tablespoons, fluid ounces, and milliliters.

CupTablespoonsFluid ouncesMilliliters
1/8 cup2 tbsp1 fl oz29.57 mL
1/4 cup4 tbsp2 fl oz59.15 mL
1/3 cup5.33 tbsp2.67 fl oz78.86 mL
1/2 cup8 tbsp4 fl oz118.29 mL
2/3 cup10.67 tbsp5.33 fl oz157.73 mL
3/4 cup12 tbsp6 fl oz177.44 mL
1 cup16 tbsp8 fl oz236.59 mL

US vs UK vs metric

Not all 'cups' and 'ounces' are the same size — this is where recipes go wrong across regions.

SystemVolume
US fluid ounce29.57 mL
Imperial (UK) fluid ounce28.41 mL
US cup236.59 mL
Metric cup (AU/UK/NZ recipes)250.00 mL
US pint473.18 mL
Imperial (UK) pint568.26 mL

Frequently asked questions

How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup, which is also 8 fluid ounces or about 236.59 mL.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon.
Is a US cup the same as a metric cup?
No. A US cup is about 236.59 mL, while the metric cup used in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand recipes is exactly 250 mL. The difference is small but can matter in baking.
Is a US fluid ounce the same as a UK (imperial) fluid ounce?
No. A US fluid ounce is about 29.57 mL, while an imperial fluid ounce is about 28.41 mL — roughly 4% smaller.

Need a different volume conversion? Try the unit converters.