Tablespoons to milliliters converter

Tablespoons to milliliters is the swap for following a metric recipe with US spoons. The tool above converts tablespoons, milliliters, teaspoons, cups, and fluid ounces. For most cooking, treat 1 tablespoon as 15 ml, but watch for the 20 ml Australian tablespoon.

Pick units or type in either box.

Common tablespoon and milliliter conversions

US tablespoon, 14.79 ml:

  • 1 tablespoon = 14.79 ml (rounded to 15 ml)
  • 1/2 tablespoon = 7.5 ml
  • 2 tablespoons = 30 ml = 1 fluid ounce
  • 3 tablespoons = 45 ml
  • 4 tablespoons = 60 ml = 1/4 cup
  • 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
  • 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
  • 16 tablespoons = 237 ml = 1 cup
  • 1 Australian tablespoon = 20 ml = 4 teaspoons

How the tool works

A US tablespoon is 14.7867647 milliliters, exactly three teaspoons. Cooking rounds it to 15 ml, and measuring spoons are made to the 15 ml standard.

The tool converts your input to milliliters first, then to any unit you ask for, so tablespoons to milliliters, tablespoons to cups, and tablespoons to teaspoons all work.

Watch the Australian tablespoon

Most of the world uses a 15 ml tablespoon. Australia uses 20 ml, which is 4 teaspoons instead of 3.

If a recipe is Australian and calls for tablespoons of a strong ingredient like baking soda or salt, using a 15 ml US tablespoon leaves you 25 percent short. Check the recipe origin.

For mild ingredients in a big dish, the 15 vs 20 ml gap rarely shows. For baking and for leavening, it matters.

Tablespoons around the world

The US, UK, and Canadian tablespoon is 15 ml, with the US technically at 14.79 ml. Australia is the exception at 20 ml. The teaspoon is 5 ml almost everywhere, so the safest fix for an Australian recipe is to measure tablespoons as 4 teaspoons.

Common tablespoon and milliliter mistakes

  • Using a 15 ml tablespoon for an Australian recipe that means 20 ml.
  • Heaping the tablespoon when the recipe wants it level. Level it with a knife.
  • Confusing tablespoons with teaspoons. A tablespoon is three times a teaspoon.
  • Treating a serving spoon as a tablespoon. Only a marked measuring spoon is 15 ml.

FAQ

How many ml is a tablespoon?
1 US tablespoon is 14.79 milliliters, rounded to 15 ml. An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml.
How many ml is 1/2 tablespoon?
1/2 US tablespoon is about 7.5 milliliters.
Is a tablespoon 15 ml or 20 ml?
15 ml in the US, UK, and Canada. 20 ml in Australia.
How many tablespoons is 30 ml?
30 milliliters is 2 US tablespoons, which is also 1 fluid ounce.
How many tablespoons is 100 ml?
100 milliliters is about 6.8 US tablespoons.

Related tools and guides

¿Necesitas esta herramienta en español? Ver cucharadas a mililitros.

Where these numbers come from

The US tablespoon is defined as 1/2 US fluid ounce, exactly 14.78676478125 milliliters, which is also exactly three US teaspoons. The metric tablespoon is exactly 15 milliliters. The Australian tablespoon is exactly 20 milliliters.

Sources

Our numbers and methodology cross-reference these authorities:

Last updated: