There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup, which also equals 48 teaspoons, 8 US fluid ounces, or about 236.6 milliliters. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons and a quarter cup is 4. The awkward ones are the thirds: 1/3 cup is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, and 2/3 cup is 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons.
How many tablespoons are in a cup, and why 16? #
US kitchen measures are built from halves and thirds of each other:
- 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
- 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
So one cup is 8 × 2 = 16 tablespoons, and 16 × 3 = 48 teaspoons. All of it hangs off the US gallon, which is defined as exactly 3.785411784 liters (NIST SP 811). A gallon holds 128 fluid ounces, so one US tablespoon works out to 14.7868 mL and one teaspoon to 4.9289 mL.
The mental shortcut #
Think of a cup as 16 tablespoons and every standard cup measure falls out by halving: 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp, 1/4 cup = 4 tbsp, 1/8 cup = 2 tbsp. For thirds, remember 1/3 cup = 5 tbsp + 1 tsp and double it for 2/3.
Tablespoons in a cup chart #
| Cup measure | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | US fl oz | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 48 tsp | 8 | 236.6 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tbsp | 36 tsp | 6 | 177.4 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 32 tsp | 5.33 | 157.7 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tbsp | 24 tsp | 4 | 118.3 mL |
| 3/8 cup | 6 tbsp | 18 tsp | 3 | 88.7 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 16 tsp | 2.67 | 78.9 mL |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tbsp | 12 tsp | 2 | 59.1 mL |
| 1/8 cup | 2 tbsp | 6 tsp | 1 | 29.6 mL |
| 1/16 cup | 1 tbsp | 3 tsp | 0.5 | 14.8 mL |
Tablespoons to cups chart #
Useful when a recipe says “6 tablespoons” and you’d rather grab one measuring cup.
| Tablespoons | Cups | Easiest way to measure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1/16 | 1 tbsp |
| 2 | 1/8 | 2 tbsp |
| 3 | 3/16 | 1/8 cup + 1 tbsp |
| 4 | 1/4 | 1/4 cup |
| 5 | 5/16 | 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp |
| 6 | 3/8 | 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp |
| 8 | 1/2 | 1/2 cup |
| 10 | 5/8 | 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp |
| 12 | 3/4 | 3/4 cup |
| 14 | 7/8 | 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp |
| 16 | 1 | 1 cup |
| 24 | 1 1/2 | 1 1/2 cups |
| 32 | 2 | 2 cups (1 pint) |
Butter is the everyday example. A standard US stick of butter is 8 tablespoons, which is 1/2 cup, and the wrapper is usually marked in tablespoons for that reason. We cover the weights in how many grams are in a cup of butter.
Worked examples #
Your 3/4-cup measure is in the dishwasher. Use 12 level tablespoons, or a 1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons.
You’re halving a recipe that calls for 1/3 cup of oil. Half of 5 tbsp + 1 tsp is 2 tbsp + 2 tsp. In milliliters, that’s 39.4 mL.
You’re tripling a vinaigrette that uses 5 tablespoons of vinegar. 15 tablespoons is 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon. Fill a cup, then pour a tablespoon back.
A recipe asks for 1/4 cup of melted butter and you only have sticks. That’s 4 tablespoons, half a stick.
Is a tablespoon the same in every country? #
Close, but no. This trips people up with Australian recipes in particular.
| Where | Tablespoon | Teaspoon | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| US customary (kitchen) | 14.79 mL | 4.93 mL | 236.6 mL |
| US nutrition labels | 15 mL | 5 mL | 240 mL |
| UK, Canada, New Zealand (metric) | 15 mL | 5 mL | 250 mL (where cups are used) |
| Australia | 20 mL | 5 mL | 250 mL |
The US nutrition-label values come from FDA rules, which say that “a teaspoon means 5 milliliters (mL), a tablespoon means 15 mL, a cup means 240 mL” for labeling (21 CFR 101.9). Your measuring spoons don’t change, and there are still 16 tablespoons to the labeling cup.
Australia is the outlier. Its tablespoon is 20 mL, four 5 mL teaspoons instead of three, and it holds about a third more than a US tablespoon. For sugar or flour the difference is minor, but for baking soda, salt or gelatin it adds up. If an Australian recipe says “1 tablespoon baking powder,” use 1 US tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon.
A 250 mL metric cup holds about 16 2/3 metric (15 mL) tablespoons, or 12 1/2 Australian ones. See US cup vs UK cup for how those cups compare.
Level spoons, not heaped #
Every number on this page assumes a level measure: fill the spoon, then scrape across the top with a knife. A heaped tablespoon of flour holds noticeably more than a level one, and in a small batch that extra is enough to change the result. For liquids, fill the spoon to the brim over a separate bowl so you don’t dribble the overflow into the mixture.
Converting spoons and cups on your phone #
Convert Units Calculator converts between US teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons and milliliters in its Volume category. Type 5 and pick tablespoons, and the whole category is worked out underneath at once: cups, fluid ounces and milliliters without switching screens. When you need weight rather than volume, its Cooking category (version 1.0.5 and later) converts spoons and cups of a chosen ingredient to grams, so “3 tablespoons of sugar” becomes a gram figure you can weigh.
If your recipe gives fluid ounces instead of spoons, ml to oz has the exact factors.
Frequently asked questions #
How many tablespoons are in 1/4 cup? #
Four tablespoons. That’s also 12 teaspoons, 2 US fluid ounces, or about 59 mL.
How many tablespoons are in 1/3 cup? #
Five tablespoons plus one teaspoon, which is 5 1/3 tablespoons. It’s about 79 mL. For 2/3 cup, double it: 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons.
How many tablespoons are in half a cup? #
Eight tablespoons, which is exactly one US stick of butter. It’s also 24 teaspoons, 4 fluid ounces and about 118 mL.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? #
Three in the US, UK and most metric countries (5 mL teaspoons in a 15 mL tablespoon). In Australia a tablespoon is 20 mL, so it holds four teaspoons.
Is a tablespoon 15 mL? #
A US kitchen tablespoon is 14.79 mL, which rounds to 15 mL, and US nutrition labels define it as exactly 15 mL. The metric tablespoon used in the UK, Canada and New Zealand is 15 mL. The Australian tablespoon is 20 mL.