Cooking Measurement Conversions: Cups, Tablespoons, Teaspoons, and Millilitres
October 21, 2026
One US cup is about 236.6 millilitres, one tablespoon is about 14.8 mL, and one teaspoon is about 4.9 mL. Many recipes and nutrition labels round these to 240, 15, and 5 mL. The rounding is fine for cooking, but the differences add up across a large recipe, and the cup itself differs across countries.
Skip the math and get your answer instantly:
Open the Weight Converter →Exact US Conversions
US customary volume units are linked by simple ratios: 3 teaspoons make a tablespoon, 16 tablespoons make a cup, 2 cups make a pint, 2 pints make a quart, and 4 quarts make a gallon.
| Unit | Millilitres (exact) | Common rounding |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.929 | 5 |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.787 | 15 |
| 1 fluid ounce | 29.574 | 30 |
| 1 cup | 236.588 | 240 |
| 1 pint | 473.176 | 475 |
| 1 quart | 946.353 | 950 |
Not All Cups Are Equal
The US cup is 236.588 mL. A metric cup, used in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, is 250 mL. The imperial pint is 568.261 mL, so older British recipes that use a half-pint 'cup' mean about 284 mL. A Japanese cup is 200 mL.
A 250 mL metric cup is about 5.7% larger than a US cup, which is enough to make a cake batter noticeably wetter. Check where a recipe was written before converting.
Why Weighing Is Better
Volume measurements of dry ingredients vary with packing. A cup of all-purpose flour can weigh from about 120 g to 150 g depending on whether it was spooned or scooped. For baking, weights in grams are far more consistent.
Water is convenient: 1 mL weighs 1 g, so 236.6 mL of water is about 237 g. Other liquids differ: a cup of honey weighs roughly 340 g because it is denser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many millilitres are in a cup?
A US cup is 236.588 mL, a metric cup is 250 mL, and recipes often round the US cup to 240 mL.
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16 US tablespoons make one cup.
Is a UK tablespoon the same as a US tablespoon?
Not exactly. The UK metric tablespoon is 15 mL and the US tablespoon is 14.79 mL. Australia uses a 20 mL tablespoon.
Should I measure flour by volume or weight?
By weight. It is much more consistent, and most professional recipes list grams.