How Many Tablespoons Are in a Cup?
Quick Answer: 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup · 48 teaspoons · 237 mL
At a glance
- 1 cup = 16 tablespoons (48 teaspoons, 237 mL)
- ½ cup = 8 tablespoons (24 teaspoons, 118.3 mL)
- ¼ cup = 4 tablespoons (12 teaspoons, 59.1 mL)
- ⅓ cup = 5⅓ tablespoons (5 tbsp + 1 tsp — doesn’t divide evenly)
A US cup contains exactly 16 tablespoons (48 teaspoons, 237 mL). This ratio is a structural consequence of the US measurement system: 1 cup = 8 fl oz, and 1 tablespoon = ½ fl oz. The only fraction that doesn’t divide cleanly is ⅓ cup — it equals 5⅓ tablespoons, which in practice means 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon. The table below covers every common fraction.
How many tablespoons in 1 cup?
cup → tablespoon Quick Converter
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1 cup on the tablespoon scale
1 cup = 16 tablespoons
Did you know? If your measuring cups are dirty or missing, you can hit any cup-fraction using tablespoons instead — ¼ cup = 4 tbsp, ½ cup = 8 tbsp, ¾ cup = 12 tbsp, 1 cup = 16 tbsp. Just do 16 times the fraction.
The ⅓-cup is the oddball: 16 ÷ 3 = 5.33, so ⅓ cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon exactly. This is one of the main reasons measuring-cup sets include a dedicated ⅓-cup scoop — it’s inconvenient to build from smaller units.
Formula
Values follow the US customary system as published by NIST (Office of Weights and Measures). 1 US cup is defined as exactly 236.5882365 mL; 1 tablespoon = 14.79 mL (½ fl oz). The relationship 1 cup = 16 tbsp is exact because 8 fl oz ÷ ½ fl oz/tbsp = 16.
Cups to Tablespoons Conversion Table
mL values are NIST-exact, rounded to 1 decimal.
| Cups | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Fluid Ounces | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⅛ | 2 | 6 | 1 | 29.6 |
| ¼ | 4 | 12 | 2 | 59.1 |
| ⅓ | 5⅓ (5 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 16 | 2⅔ | 78.9 |
| ⅜ | 6 | 18 | 3 | 88.7 |
| ½ | 8 | 24 | 4 | 118.3 |
| ⅝ | 10 | 30 | 5 | 147.9 |
| ⅔ | 10⅔ (10 tbsp + 2 tsp) | 32 | 5⅓ | 157.7 |
| ¾ | 12 | 36 | 6 | 177.4 |
| ⅞ | 14 | 42 | 7 | 207.0 |
| 1 | 16 | 48 | 8 | 236.6 |
| 1¼ | 20 | 60 | 10 | 295.7 |
| 1½ | 24 | 72 | 12 | 354.9 |
| 2 (1 pint) | 32 | 96 | 16 | 473.2 |
| 4 (1 quart) | 64 | 192 | 32 | 946.4 |
What is a tablespoon? What is a cup?
Tablespoon
A tablespoon (abbreviated tbsp or T) is a medium-sized measuring spoon equal to 3 teaspoons = ½ fluid ounce = 15 mL. The name literally means a spoon used at the table for serving. In US and UK kitchens, tablespoons are the go-to unit for oils, syrups, spices, and anything between a teaspoon and a quarter cup.
Watch out for the Australian tablespoon: it’s larger at 20 mL (4 teaspoons). Every other English-speaking country uses the 15 mL = 3 teaspoons tablespoon.
Cup
A cup is a US volume unit equal to 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 8 fluid ounces = 236.59 mL. Measuring cups come in two physical types that hold the same volume but are designed differently:
- Liquid measuring cups — clear with a spout and graduations along the side, usually at 2, 4, 6, 8 fl oz.
- Dry measuring cups — metal or plastic sets (¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, ¾, 1 cup) with flat rims for leveling with a knife.
When You Don’t Have the Right Measuring Cup
If your ½ cup, ¼ cup, or ⅓ cup is missing (dishwasher, misplaced, or never owned), you can hit any fraction using tablespoons or teaspoons. Here’s the cheat-sheet:
- ¼ cup = 4 tablespoons
- ⅓ cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (because 16 ÷ 3 ≠ whole)
- ½ cup = 8 tablespoons
- ⅔ cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (= 2 × ⅓ cup)
- ¾ cup = 12 tablespoons
- 1 cup = 16 tablespoons
The logic: 1 cup = 16 tbsp, so N cups × 16 = tablespoons. For any fraction p/q, multiply 16 × (p/q). When it doesn’t divide cleanly (like ⅓ and ⅔), fill the remainder with teaspoons (3 tsp per tablespoon).
US Cup vs UK Cup vs Metric Cup
The cup isn’t standardized across English-speaking countries:
- US cup: 236.59 mL = 16 US tbsp = 48 US tsp. The standard used throughout this page.
- UK (imperial) cup: 284.13 mL — about 20% larger. Rarely seen in modern UK recipes.
- Metric cup: exactly 250 mL = ~16.9 metric tbsp. Standard in Australia and common in continental European references.
Australian recipes are the trickiest because they combine a 250 mL cup with a 20 mL tablespoon (not 15 mL like elsewhere). In Australia, 1 cup = 12.5 AU tbsp, not 16 — structurally different from the US.
US Liquid Measurement Hierarchy
1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fl oz = 946 mL
1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fl oz = 473 mL
1 cup = 8 fl oz = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 237 mL
1 tablespoon = 3 tsp = ½ fl oz = 15 mL
1 teaspoon = ⅓ tbsp = 5 mL
How to Measure Accurately
Liquid ingredients
- Use a clear liquid measuring cup on a flat surface. Pour in the liquid, then crouch to read the meniscus at eye level. Reading from above can add 5–15% error.
- For sticky liquids (honey, syrup, molasses), lightly oil the cup first — the ingredient slides out cleanly with no residue.
Dry ingredients
- Spoon the ingredient into the cup, then level the top with the flat edge of a knife. Do not pack it down unless the recipe explicitly says so (packed brown sugar is the common exception).
- Flour scooped directly from the bag compacts and adds up to 25% more than intended — the #1 cause of dry, dense baked goods.
Pro tip: for baking, a kitchen scale beats any measuring cup. 1 US cup of all-purpose flour ≈ 120 g, but this varies by brand and technique — weighing eliminates the variance entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are 16 tablespoons in 1 US cup (48 teaspoons, 237 mL).
How many tablespoons in ¼ cup?
4 tablespoons in ¼ cup (12 teaspoons, 59.1 mL).
How many tablespoons in ⅓ cup?
5⅓ tablespoons (16 teaspoons, ~78.9 mL) — that’s 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon. The ⅓ cup doesn’t divide evenly into whole tablespoons because 16 ÷ 3 isn’t a whole number.
How many tablespoons in ½ cup?
8 tablespoons in ½ cup (24 teaspoons, 118.3 mL).
Related Cooking Conversions
- How many teaspoons in a tablespoon? — 3 tsp
- How many tablespoons in an ounce? — 2 tbsp
- How many ounces in a cup? — 8 fl oz
- How many cups in a pint? — 2 cups
- How many cups in a quart? — 4 cups
- How many cups in a gallon? — 16 cups
- How many ounces in a quart? — 32 fl oz
- How many teaspoons in a cup? — 48 tsp
- How many ounces in a tablespoon? — 0.5 fl oz
- How many cups in a liter? — 4.23 cups
- Volume to Weight (ingredients) — how much does 1 tablespoon of butter weigh?
- Weight to Volume (ingredients) — convert 50 g of flour to tbsp
- All Cooking Measurement Tools
All values use US customary measurements. 1 US cup = 237 mL = 16 US tablespoons = 48 US teaspoons. Australian cup (250 mL) and Australian tablespoon (20 mL) differ; UK imperial cup (284 mL) is rare in modern recipes.