Guides /Volume Conversions
Teaspoons to
tablespoons.
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. Here's the full table from ¼ tsp to 1 cup, with milliliters.
| Teaspoons | Tablespoons | ml |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ tsp | — | 1.2 ml |
| ½ tsp | — | 2.5 ml |
| ¾ tsp | ¼ | 3.7 ml |
| 1 tsp | ⅓ | 5 ml |
| 1½ tsp | ½ | 7.4 ml |
| 2 tsp | ⅔ | 9.9 ml |
| 3 tsp | 1 | 15 ml |
| 4 tsp | 1⅓ | 20 ml |
| 6 tsp | 2 | 30 ml |
| 12 tsp | 4 | 59 ml |
| 24 tsp | 8 | 118 ml |
| 48 tsp | 16 (1 cup) | 237 ml |
1 tbsp = 3 tsp = 15 ml · 1 tsp = 5 ml
Small measures matter in baking
Teaspoon-level accuracy matters most for salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. A recipe calling for ¾ tsp baking soda means 3.75 ml — a meaningful amount when scaled. When halving a recipe that calls for 1 tsp salt, use ½ tsp exactly; guessing "a pinch" introduces inconsistency. For amounts smaller than ¼ tsp, consider weighing on a precision scale.
Measuring spoon accuracy
Standard measuring spoons in the US are: 1 tablespoon (15 ml), 1 teaspoon (5 ml), ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml), ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml). Some sets include a ⅛ teaspoon (0.6 ml) and a "pinch" (⅙ tsp / 0.8 ml). For baking where accuracy matters, level dry ingredients with a straight edge rather than mounding them above the spoon rim.
International teaspoon and tablespoon sizes
US teaspoons and tablespoons are standardized at 5 ml and 15 ml respectively. The UK uses the same values for modern recipes, but older British recipes occasionally use a dessertspoon (10 ml) between the two. Australia is the main outlier: an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml — four teaspoons instead of three. If you're following an Australian recipe and measuring in tablespoons, you'll under-measure every tablespoon by 25% using US spoons. Always verify the recipe's country of origin when tablespoon amounts seem off.
When to switch to a kitchen scale
For amounts of ¼ teaspoon or smaller — xanthan gum, cayenne, cream of tartar — a spoon measurement becomes unreliable because the margin of error is proportionally large. A digital kitchen scale accurate to 0.1 g removes this problem entirely. Most scales cost under $15 and make small-batch baking significantly more repeatable. When a recipe calls for ⅛ teaspoon of a powerful spice, weighing 0.3–0.5 g is more consistent than estimating a quarter of a quarter spoon.
Levelling dry ingredients
For dry ingredients like baking soda, baking powder, and spices, the correct technique is to fill the spoon above the rim then sweep a straight edge (a butter knife works perfectly) across the top to remove the excess. Mounding the spoon can add 15–25% more ingredient than intended. This matters most for baking powder and baking soda, where too much causes a chemical reaction that can make baked goods taste bitter or collapse. With salt, spices, and vanilla extract, the tolerance is wider and a heaped spoon is usually fine.
Common recipe abbreviations
Recipe abbreviations vary by country and can cause confusion. In US recipes: tsp or t = teaspoon, tbsp or T or Tbsp = tablespoon. In UK recipes: tsp is universal but "dsp" means dessertspoon (10 ml). Some older cookbooks use "c.s." (cuillère à soupe, French for tablespoon) or "c.c." (cuillère à café, teaspoon). When in doubt about an unfamiliar abbreviation, check the recipe's headnotes or country of origin — misreading a tablespoon as a teaspoon triples the amount of a spice and can ruin a dish.
Frequently asked questions
- How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
- 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon = 15 ml. This applies to US and UK measures; Australian tablespoons are 4 teaspoons.
- How many teaspoons are in ¼ cup?
- 12 teaspoons = ¼ cup = 4 tablespoons = 60 ml.
- How many ml is 1 teaspoon?
- 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. This is standardized in both US and UK measuring systems.
- Is the Australian tablespoon different from the US tablespoon?
- Yes. An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml (4 teaspoons), while the US tablespoon is 15 ml (3 teaspoons). When following Australian recipes with US spoons, each tablespoon measurement will be about 25% short.
- Why does measuring spoon accuracy matter in baking?
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt are used in small quantities but have a large effect on the outcome. A heaped teaspoon vs a leveled one can add 15–25% more ingredient, which matters most for leavening agents where too much causes collapse and aftertaste.
Scale your recipe — fractions handled automatically
Paste your ingredient list and set your scale — teaspoon and tablespoon amounts scale and simplify automatically.