Tablespoons to Teaspoons Conversion Chart
1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. In metric terms, a tablespoon is about 15 mL and a teaspoon about 5 mL, so 1 teaspoon is one-third of a tablespoon.
Assumptions
- Canada, US, UK, New Zealand: 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons. The US tablespoon is exactly 14.79 mL and the teaspoon 4.93 mL; Canadian and UK spoons are labelled 15 mL and 5 mL. The difference (about 1.4%) never matters in a recipe.
- Australia: 1 tablespoon = 20 mL = 4 teaspoons. See the section below.
- All spoon measures are level, swept flat with a knife, not heaped.
Tablespoons to teaspoons
| Tablespoons | Teaspoons | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|
| ⅛ tbsp | ⅜ tsp | 1.9 mL |
| ¼ tbsp | ¾ tsp | 3.7 mL |
| ⅓ tbsp | 1 tsp | 5 mL |
| ½ tbsp | 1½ tsp | 7.5 mL |
| ⅔ tbsp | 2 tsp | 10 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 3 tsp | 15 mL |
| 1½ tbsp | 4½ tsp | 22 mL |
| 2 tbsp | 6 tsp | 30 mL |
| 3 tbsp | 9 tsp | 44 mL |
| 4 tbsp (¼ cup) | 12 tsp | 59 mL |
| 8 tbsp (½ cup) | 24 tsp | 118 mL |
| 16 tbsp (1 cup) | 48 tsp | 237 mL |
Teaspoons to tablespoons
| Teaspoons | Tablespoons |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | ⅓ tbsp |
| 1½ tsp | ½ tbsp |
| 2 tsp | ⅔ tbsp |
| 3 tsp | 1 tbsp |
| 4 tsp | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| 5 tsp | 1 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| 6 tsp | 2 tbsp |
| 9 tsp | 3 tbsp |
| 12 tsp | 4 tbsp (¼ cup) |
Small measures
| Measure | Teaspoons | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|
| Pinch | about 1/16 tsp | about 0.3 mL |
| Dash | about ⅛ tsp | about 0.6 mL |
| ¼ tsp | ¼ | 1.2 mL |
| ½ tsp | ½ | 2.5 mL |
| ¾ tsp | ¾ | 3.7 mL |
"Pinch" and "dash" are not standardized, but the novelty spoon sets sold under those names use roughly these sizes.
Spoons around the world
| Spoon | Size | In teaspoons |
|---|---|---|
| Teaspoon (all countries) | 5 mL | 1 |
| Dessert spoon (UK, Australia) | 10 mL | 2 |
| Tablespoon (Canada, US, UK, NZ) | 15 mL | 3 |
| Tablespoon (Australia) | 20 mL | 4 |
For most savoury Australian recipes, using a 15 mL tablespoon instead of 20 mL just makes things a little milder. For baking powder, baking soda, yeast, gelatin and salt, measure the extra teaspoon.
Spoons and weight
A tablespoon is a volume. Its weight depends on the ingredient:
| 1 level tablespoon of | Weight |
|---|---|
| Water, milk | 15 g |
| All-purpose flour | 8 g |
| Granulated sugar | 12.5 g |
| Butter | 14 g |
| Honey | 21 g |
| Table salt | 18 g |
| Diamond Crystal kosher salt | 9 g |
The salt difference is why kosher salt versus table salt matters so much. Table salt crystals are small and dense; flaky kosher salt crystals leave air gaps, so the same spoon holds roughly half the salt.
Measuring accurately
- Use proper measuring spoons, not cutlery. A "teaspoon" from the cutlery drawer can hold anywhere from about 3 to 7 mL.
- For powders, dip, then level with a straight edge.
- For liquids, fill to the brim over a separate bowl so a spill doesn't land in the batter.
- For sticky syrups, oil the spoon first.
Chef Fizz says: Capital T means big spoon! A tablespoon of baking soda where a teaspoon belongs makes soapy cookies.
Need to go bigger? See how many tablespoons are in a cup.
Questions
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
There are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon in Canada, the US and the UK. A teaspoon is about 5 mL and a tablespoon about 15 mL.
How many teaspoons is half a tablespoon?
Half a tablespoon is 1½ teaspoons, about 7.5 mL.
Is an Australian tablespoon different?
Yes. An Australian tablespoon is 20 mL, which equals 4 teaspoons. If you use a 15 mL spoon for an Australian recipe, add an extra teaspoon for each tablespoon, especially for leaveners and salt.
How do I tell tbsp and tsp apart in a recipe?
Tablespoon is abbreviated tbsp, Tbsp or a capital T; teaspoon is tsp or a lowercase t. Mixing them up triples or cuts an ingredient by two-thirds, which really matters with salt and baking soda.