Tablespoons to cups converter
A US cup is 16 tbsp: type tablespoons, get the cups and spoons to fill.
16 tbsp
1 cup
- 1 cup×1
US cup of 236.6 mL
How this is measured
Exact by definition: 1 US cup = 8 US fl oz = 236.5882365 mL; 1 tbsp = 1/16 cup, 1 tsp = 1/48 cup. Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C.
How to convert tablespoons to cups
There are 16 tablespoons in a cup. The US cup is 8 fluid ounces and the tablespoon ½ fluid ounce, both exactly (NIST Handbook 44), so to convert tablespoons to cups, divide by 16: cups = tablespoons ÷ 16. 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons and 14.79 mL; a cup is 48 tsp.
The quarter marks are whole tablespoons: 4 tbsp is ¼ cup, 8 tbsp is ½ cup and 12 tbsp is ¾ cup. Thirds are not: ⅓ cup is 5.33 tbsp, or 16 tsp.
The ingredient doesn't matter. A cup is a unit of volume and so is a tablespoon, so 6 tablespoons of oil and 6 tablespoons of flour fill the same cup. That is why this converter has no ingredient field; for the weight of a spoonful, use the grams to cups converter.
Tablespoons to cups conversion chart
Every count from 1 to 16 tablespoons as a fraction of a cup, the measures to fill it with, and milliliters:
US customary: 16 tbsp to the cup, 236.6 mL. The converter above switches standards.
| Tablespoons | Cups | Measure to fill | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 0.0625 cups | 1 tbsp | 14.79 mL |
| 2 tbsp | ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp | 29.57 mL |
| 3 tbsp | 0.188 cups | 3 tbsp | 44.36 mL |
| 4 tbsp | ¼ cup | ¼ cup | 59.15 mL |
| 5 tbsp | 0.313 cups | ¼ cup + 1 tbsp | 73.93 mL |
| 6 tbsp | ⅜ cup | ¼ cup + 2 tbsp | 88.72 mL |
| 7 tbsp | 0.438 cups | ¼ cup + 3 tbsp | 103.5 mL |
| 8 tbsp | ½ cup | ½ cup | 118.3 mL |
| 9 tbsp | 0.562 cups | ½ cup + 1 tbsp | 133.1 mL |
| 10 tbsp | ⅝ cup | ½ cup + 2 tbsp | 147.9 mL |
| 11 tbsp | 0.688 cups | ⅔ cup + 1 tsp | 162.7 mL |
| 12 tbsp | ¾ cup | ¾ cup | 177.4 mL |
| 13 tbsp | 0.812 cups | ¾ cup + 1 tbsp | 192.2 mL |
| 14 tbsp | ⅞ cup | ¾ cup + 2 tbsp | 207 mL |
| 15 tbsp | 0.938 cups | ¾ cup + 3 tbsp | 221.8 mL |
| 16 tbsp | 1 cup | 1 cup | 236.6 mL |
Measuring amounts between the cup marks
Most counts don't land on a cup measure. Fill the largest cup measure that fits, then top up with spoons:
- 6 tbsp = ¼ cup + 2 tbsp
- 10 tbsp = ½ cup + 2 tbsp
- 14 tbsp = ¾ cup + 2 tbsp
The answer card does this split for any number you type, using only the ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔ and ¾ cup measures, tablespoons and teaspoons, and it marks the result ≈ when no combination is exact.
Tablespoons in an ounce
A US fluid ounce is exactly 2 tbsp, since a tablespoon is ½ fluid ounce. That holds for anything you measure by volume: water, milk, oil, vanilla.
An ounce of weight is different: how many tablespoons it fills depends on the ingredient. One ounce of butter is 2 tbsp; one ounce of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, is 3.78 tbsp. For weights, use grams to tablespoons.
Tablespoon conversions for a metric cup and other standards
The 16 tablespoons above are US customary measures. A metric cup of 250 mL with a 15 mL tablespoon (the sizes NIST's household guide proposes) holds 16.67 tbsp. US nutrition labels round both: a tablespoon is 15 mL and a cup 240 mL (21 CFR 101.9), which is still 16 tbsp to the cup. An Australian tablespoon holds 20 mL and the Australian cup 250 mL, so 25 Australian tablespoons make 2 cups. Recipes written with metric, imperial or Australian measures use different cups and spoons; switch the cup standard in the converter and the tablespoons change with it.
Questions
How many tablespoons are in ¼ cup?
4 tbsp, or 12 tsp.
Is 2 tablespoons equal to ¼ cup?
No, 2 tablespoons is 2 tbsp, half of ¼ cup. A quarter cup takes 4 tbsp.
Does 3 tablespoons equal ⅓ of a cup?
No. ⅓ cup is 5.33 tbsp, so 3 tablespoons is a little over half of it. It doesn't equal ¼ cup either: 3 tablespoons is 0.188 cups, a quarter cup is 4 tbsp.
How can I measure 3 tablespoons?
Fill a tablespoon three times, or use 9 tsp, or measure 1.5 fl oz in a liquid measuring cup. In a cup measure it sits below the ¼ cup mark.
How many tablespoons equal ½ cup of butter?
8 tbsp, which is one US stick of butter. The butter converter gives the grams and ounces too.
What is the difference between a tbsp and a tsp?
A tablespoon (tbsp) is 3 teaspoons (tsp), exactly. A US teaspoon is 4.93 mL and a US tablespoon 14.79 mL.
Sources
- 21 CFR 101.9 (US nutrition labeling)
- King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart
- King Arthur Baking, How to measure flour
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C
- NIST Special Publication 430, Household Weights and Measures
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy
- Weights and Measures Act 1985 (UK), Schedule 1
- Grams to cups converterPick the ingredient, type the grams and get US cups and spoons, with the fill method the weight assumes.
- How many tablespoons in a cupA US cup is 16 tbsp: type cups, get tablespoons and teaspoons.
- What is half of 3/4 cup?Half of ¾ cup is ¼ cup + 2 tbsp: type a cup or spoon measure, pick half, a third or double, get the cups and spoons to fill.
- How many mL in a tablespoonA US tablespoon is 14.79 milliliters: type tablespoons, pick the spoon standard, get milliliters.
- How many teaspoons in a tablespoon3 teaspoons make 1 tbsp: type teaspoons, get tablespoons and the spoons to fill.
- How many grams in a tablespoon2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour weigh 15 grams: pick the ingredient, type the spoons, get grams.
- mL to cups converterA US cup is 236.6 mL: type milliliters, get cups and spoons for the cup your recipe uses.
- How many cups in one stick of butterOne stick of butter is 8 tbsp, ½ cup and 4 ounces: type any butter amount and get all the others.