Teaspoons to tablespoons converter

Teaspoons and tablespoons are the units you reach for most when a recipe calls for small amounts. The tool above converts teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, fluid ounces, milliliters, and liters. Pick what you have and what you want.

Pick units or type in either box.

Common teaspoon and tablespoon conversions

The small-measure numbers worth knowing by heart:

  • 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
  • 1/2 tablespoon = 1.5 teaspoons
  • 2 tablespoons = 6 teaspoons
  • 1 teaspoon = 1/3 tablespoon
  • 1 tablespoon = 1/2 fluid ounce
  • 1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters
  • 1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters
  • 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 12 teaspoons
  • 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 16 teaspoons
  • 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 24 teaspoons
  • 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons

How the tool works

Every volume unit is based on milliliters under the hood. A US teaspoon is 4.93 ml. A US tablespoon is 14.79 ml, which is exactly three teaspoons. A US cup is 236.59 ml.

The tool changes your input to milliliters, then changes that back to the unit you want. So you can swap any pair: teaspoons to tablespoons, teaspoons to milliliters, tablespoons to cups, anything.

When the small gaps matter

For most cooking, rounding a teaspoon up or down does not change the dish. For baking, small amounts of baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices do matter, so measure them level, not heaped.

Australian tablespoons are 20 ml, which is 4 teaspoons, not 3. If a recipe is from Australia, a tablespoon there means 4 teaspoons.

British and US teaspoons are both 5 ml, so teaspoon amounts travel well between those two countries.

US vs other countries

A US teaspoon is 4.93 ml and a US tablespoon is 14.79 ml. Most countries round the teaspoon to 5 ml and the tablespoon to 15 ml for everyday cooking. The one to watch is Australia, where the tablespoon is 20 ml, a third bigger than the US tablespoon.

Common teaspoon and tablespoon mistakes

  • Heaping the spoon when the recipe means level. A heaped teaspoon can hold almost double a level one. Level it off with the back of a knife.
  • Reading tbsp as tsp, or the reverse. They look alike and the difference is three times. tsp is the small spoon, tbsp is the big one.
  • Measuring leavening with tableware instead of a real measuring spoon. A soup spoon is not a tablespoon and a stirring spoon is not a teaspoon.
  • Assuming an Australian tablespoon equals a US one. It is 4 teaspoons there, not 3.

FAQ

How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
3 US teaspoons make 1 US tablespoon. So 1.5 teaspoons make half a tablespoon, and 6 teaspoons make 2 tablespoons.
How many tablespoons are in a teaspoon?
1 teaspoon is 1/3 of a tablespoon. You need 3 teaspoons to fill 1 tablespoon.
How many teaspoons are in a cup?
48 US teaspoons make 1 US cup. A cup is 16 tablespoons, and each tablespoon is 3 teaspoons.
Is a tablespoon always 3 teaspoons?
In the US, the UK, and Canada, yes. In Australia a tablespoon is 4 teaspoons (20 ml), so check where your recipe was written.
What is 1 1/2 teaspoons in tablespoons?
1.5 teaspoons is exactly half a tablespoon.

Related tools and guides

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Where these numbers come from

US volume units are defined by NIST. The US teaspoon is exactly 4.92892159375 milliliters. The US tablespoon is exactly three teaspoons, 14.78676478 milliliters. Sixteen tablespoons make one US cup.

Sources

Our numbers and methodology cross-reference these authorities:

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