How this calculator works
The US customary tablespoon is defined as one sixteenth of a US cup, which is 1/256 of the 231 cubic inch US gallon. That makes it exactly 14.78676478125 mL. A metric spoon sold in many countries holds a rounded 15 mL, and an Australian tablespoon holds 20 mL, so a recipe that says tablespoon can differ by up to a third depending on its origin. This page uses the US customary spoon and states the factor so the difference is visible.
Formula
mL = tbsp x 14.78676478125. tbsp = mL / 14.78676478125. One US tablespoon is 3 US teaspoons or 0.5 US fluid ounce.
Worked example
1 tbsp = 14.7868 mL. 2 tbsp = 29.5735 mL. 4 tbsp = 59.1471 mL. 0.5 tbsp = 7.39338 mL. 1 metric tablespoon of 15 mL is 1.01442 US tbsp. 1 Australian tablespoon of 20 mL is 1.35256 US tbsp.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a metric tablespoon the same as a US tablespoon?
No. A metric tablespoon is usually rounded to 15 mL, while the US customary tablespoon is exactly 14.78676478125 mL. The gap is about 1.4 percent, which is small for most cooking but matters in baking.
Why is an Australian tablespoon 20 mL?
Australia standardised its tablespoon at 20 mL, four teaspoons of 5 mL. A recipe written in Australia can therefore call for noticeably more than the same tablespoon count in a US recipe.
Does this page weigh ingredients?
No. It converts volume. A tablespoon of flour, sugar or oil occupies the same volume but weighs a different amount, so use an ingredient-density page when a recipe gives grams.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Three US teaspoons make one US tablespoon, and each teaspoon is 4.92892159375 mL. The table shows the teaspoon equivalent beside each row.