Trying to figure out how many teaspoons in a tablespoon (how many teaspoon in a tbsp)? Or converting tablespoons in ounces and cups? We've got the answers here with a quick look at other common measurement conversion questions using tablespoons.
More kitchen conversions to bookmark: Ounces in a Cup, Cups in a Quart, Liters in a Gallon, and Grams in an Ounce.
Quick Look
- 🥄 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons (and ½ tablespoon = 1 ½ teaspoons)
- 🥣 1 cup = 16 tablespoons; ½ cup = 8; ¼ cup = 4
- 💧 1 tablespoon = ½ fluid ounce, about 15 mL
- 💊 1 teaspoon is about 5 mL, handy for medicine doses
- 🍨 A dessert spoon is 10 mL, right between the two
- 🇺🇸 US and metric spoons are close enough to swap in recipes without a noticeable difference
Quick Answer
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon, so half a tablespoon is 1 ½ teaspoons and 4 tablespoons is 12 teaspoons. A US tablespoon also equals ½ fluid ounce, about 15 milliliters, and 16 tablespoons make 1 cup. US and metric measuring spoons are close enough to use interchangeably in recipes.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why Spoon Measurements Trip Everyone Up
- Why You'll Love This Guide
- Teaspoons to Tablespoons Conversion Charts
- Most-Searched Spoon Conversions at a Glance
- How to Measure With Spoons Correctly
- Measuring Spoons, Butter, and Leveling
- Where These Conversions Come In Handy
- Conversion FAQs
- More Measurement Conversions
Knowing how many teaspoons in a tablespoon is an essential part of cooking great recipes. And it is incredibly handy to know when measuring ingredients like baking soda, baking powder, or measuring tablespoons of butter for cookies. Measuring dry and liquid ingredients convert differently, as do US standard versus metric. tsp, tbsp, ounces to cups ... oh my!
Another reason to know these conversions is when giving medicine. How many times have you had a sick child and can not find the right measuring cup labeled with ml instead of teaspoons? A US teaspoon equals 4.93 mL, almost exactly the 5 ml on a medicine cup.
Why Spoon Measurements Trip Everyone Up
Click to see the technique science
- Dry and liquid measure differently. Measuring spoons work for both, but dry ingredients need leveling: use the flat side of a knife to level out the amount needed.
- US and metric are nearly twins. A US tablespoon is 14.79 mL and a metric tablespoon is 15 mL. The differences are so small that American and metric measuring spoons can both be used in recipes without noticeably having a difference.
- Containers are designed to help. Most baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper containers have a flat part to level a spoon over the container for convenience.
- Butter does the math for you. Each stick is 4 oz, ½ cup, or 8 tablespoons, with tablespoon lines printed right on the packaging.
- A dessert spoon is its own thing. At 10 mL it measures just in-between a tablespoon and teaspoon.
Why You'll Love This Guide
- Every spoon conversion in one place, from half tablespoons to full cups.
- Medicine-dose ready. The mL chart translates teaspoons for those middle-of-the-night doses.
- Butter math included. The stick markings, decoded once and for all.
- US or metric, it just works. The spoons are close enough to swap without a noticeable difference.
Teaspoons to Tablespoons Conversion Charts
Teaspoons to tablespoons. The rule: divide teaspoons by 3.
| Teaspoons (tsp) | Tablespoons (Tbsp) |
|---|---|
| 1 ½ teaspoons | ½ tablespoon |
| 3 teaspoons | 1 tablespoon |
| 6 teaspoons | 2 tablespoons |
| 8 teaspoons | 2 ⅔ tablespoons |
| 9 teaspoons | 3 tablespoons |
| 12 teaspoons | 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) |
Tablespoons to cups, for scaling recipes up and down.
| Tablespoons | Cups | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Tbsp | 1/16 cup | 3 tsp |
| 2 Tbsp | ⅛ cup | 6 tsp |
| 4 Tbsp | ¼ cup | 12 tsp |
| 8 Tbsp | ½ cup | 24 tsp |
| 12 Tbsp | ¾ cup | 36 tsp |
| 16 Tbsp | 1 cup | 48 tsp |
Spoons to milliliters, the medicine-cabinet chart.
| Spoon | Milliliters (mL) |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.93 mL (about 5 mL) |
| 1 ½ teaspoons | about 7.5 mL |
| 2 teaspoons | about 10 mL |
| 2 ½ teaspoons | about 12.5 mL |
| 1 dessert spoon | 10 mL |
| 1 tablespoon | 14.79 mL (about 15 mL), which is ½ fluid ounce |
Most-Searched Spoon Conversions at a Glance
- 8 teaspoons to tablespoons: 8 teaspoon = 2 ⅔ tablespoons
- How many teaspoons equal a tablespoon: 3 teaspoons
- Half a tablespoon in teaspoons: 1 ½ teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons to teaspoons: 6 teaspoons, which is also 1 fluid ounce
- 4 tablespoons: 12 teaspoons, which is ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon of butter: 3 teaspoons, one marked line on the stick
- 5 mL in teaspoons: about 1 teaspoon
How to Measure With Spoons Correctly
1For dry ingredients, scoop, then use the flat side of a knife to level out the amount needed, or use the flat leveling edge built into most baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper containers.
2For liquids, fill the spoon right to the rim on a steady surface.
3For medicine, use the mL markings: a teaspoon is about 5 mL, so 2 teaspoons is about 10 mL.
Measuring Spoons, Butter, and Leveling
- Measuring spoons are used to measure teaspoons and tablespoons for both liquid and dry ingredients.
- Level dry ingredients. To measure dry or solid teaspoon and tablespoon ingredients, use the flat side of a knife to level out the amount needed.
- Butter is pre-marked. Butter is usually packaged with tablespoon lines and each stick is 4 oz, ½ a cup, or 8 tablespoons. So 3 tsps of butter makes 1 tbsp. To learn more about measuring ounces to cups check out how many ounces in a cup.
- No jigger for cocktails? 1 tablespoon is ½ ounce and 2 tablespoons is 1 ounce, the same trick I use in my white tea shots and espresso martini.
Where These Conversions Come In Handy
Small-spoon precision shows up everywhere: the 1 tablespoon of sugar that feeds my gluten-free sourdough starter, the ⅛ teaspoon of sea salt in a cortisol cocktail, the pinch of pink salt in lemon salt water, and the tablespoons of chia in my chia water. Bookmark this page and the math is always done for you.
Conversion FAQs
Three teaspoons make up 1 tablespoon, and breaking that down even more, 1 ½ teaspoons equals ½ tablespoon.
There are 16 tablespoons in 1 cup, and half a cup has 8 tablespoons.
There is ½ fluid ounce in 1 US tablespoon, which is about 15 mL. That means 2 tablespoons equal 1 fluid ounce.
One US tablespoon is 14.79 mL, or almost 15 mL metric. A US teaspoon is 4.93 mL, or almost the 5 mL metric teaspoon.
A dessert spoon is 10 mL, and measures just in-between a tablespoon and teaspoon.
Yes. The differences between US standard and metric spoon measurements are so small that American and metric measuring spoons can both be used in recipes without noticeably having a difference.
More Measurement Conversions
- How Many Ounces In A Cup
- How Many Cups In A Quart
- How Many Liters in a Gallon Chart
- How Many Grams In An Ounce
I hope you enjoy this conversions article! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
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