Cup to Tablespoons Calculator
Convert any cup fraction to tablespoons — with the leftover teaspoons worked out, so you can actually measure the result.
- 100% free
- No signup
- Exact fractions
- Ingredient-independent
- 1 cup
- 16 tbsp
- ¾ cup
- 12 tbsp
- ⅔ cup
- 10 tbsp + 2 tsp
Converter
Result
tablespoons
0.5 cups = 8 tablespoonsIn measuring spoons: 8 tbsp
- grams
- 118.3
- tablespoons
- 8
- teaspoons
- 24
- cups
- 0.5
- millilitres
- 118.3
- ounces
- 4.17
Also equals
🔒 Your data never leaves your browser · Based on standard culinary reference values · Last updated: 2026-07-29
Last updated: · Ali Raza · Read our methodology
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
There are exactly 16 tablespoons in one US cup, and this figure is the same for every ingredient because both units measure volume. That gives 8 tablespoons in ½ cup, 4 in ¼ cup, 12 in ¾ cup, and 5⅓ in ⅓ cup — the awkward one, best measured as 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. This is the one conversion on the site that never depends on density. Whether the cup holds honey or flour, 16 spoonfuls fill it, because you are comparing one volume against another rather than volume against weight. The two fractions that do not divide evenly are ⅓ cup, which is 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, and ⅔ cup, which is 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Both resolve exactly once teaspoons are allowed, since a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons and a cup is 48. A metric or Australian tablespoon breaks these ratios.
Cups to tablespoons is the one conversion on this site that does not depend on the ingredient. Both are volume measurements, so the ratio is fixed: 16 tablespoons to a cup, always, whether you are measuring flour or honey.
That makes it the easiest conversion here, with one catch. Thirds do not divide cleanly into sixteen. A third of a cup is 5.333 tablespoons and two thirds is 10.667 — numbers you cannot measure with a spoon. The fix is teaspoons: since there are 3 teaspoons to a tablespoon, that stray third of a tablespoon is exactly 1 teaspoon.
This calculator does that step for you, returning both the decimal and the measurable form. ⅔ cup comes back as 10.67 tbsp and as "10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons", which is the version you can execute without guessing.
How the conversion works
A US cup is 236.588 ml and a US tablespoon is 14.787 ml. Divide one by the other and you get exactly 16 — the relationship is defined that way, not approximated.
Multiply cups by 16
½ cup × 16 = 8 tablespoons. ¾ cup × 16 = 12 tablespoons.
Handle the remainder in teaspoons
⅓ cup × 16 = 5.333 tbsp. The 0.333 of a tablespoon is one third of 3 teaspoons, so exactly 1 teaspoon.
Reverse it for tablespoons to cups
Divide by 16 instead. 6 tablespoons ÷ 16 = 0.375 cups, which is ⅜ of a cup, or ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
Ignore the ingredient
Unlike every other converter here, density is irrelevant. 16 tablespoons fill a cup whether it holds flour, water or honey.
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp |
|---|---|
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp |
| ⅛ cup | 2 tbsp |
| 1 tbsp | 3 tsp |
| 1 cup | 48 tsp |
Worked examples
The cup fractions that come up most, converted exactly.
⅓ cup
= 5 tbsp + 1 tsp
5.333 tablespoons. The most-searched cup fraction, precisely because it does not divide cleanly.
½ cup
= 8 tbsp
Clean and exact. Also 24 teaspoons or 4 fluid ounces.
⅔ cup
= 10 tbsp + 2 tsp
10.667 tablespoons. Double the ⅓ cup answer, as you would expect.
6 tablespoons
= ⅜ cup
0.375 cups. Easier to measure as ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
4 tablespoons
= ¼ cup
The conversion behind the common instruction "¼ cup (4 tbsp) butter".
Accuracy and assumptions
All figures use US customary units: a cup of 236.588 ml and a tablespoon of 14.787 ml. The 16:1 ratio between them is exact by definition, so these conversions carry no rounding error at all.
If your measuring cups are metric — 250 ml, standard across Europe, Australia and New Zealand — the ratio changes. A metric cup holds 16.67 US tablespoons, or exactly 16.67 metric ones at 15 ml. In practice, metric sets pair a 250 ml cup with a 15 ml spoon, keeping the ratio close to 16.7.
Australian measuring spoons are the genuine trap. The Australian tablespoon is 20 ml rather than 15 ml, giving 12.5 tablespoons to a metric cup instead of 16.7. A recipe converted with the wrong spoon standard will be off by a third.
Teaspoon remainders are exact: 3 teaspoons per tablespoon in every system that uses these units.
Key facts
16 tablespoons to a cup, always
The one conversion in baking that never depends on what you are measuring.
3 teaspoons to a tablespoon
This is what makes ⅓ and ⅔ cup measurable. The awkward remainder always resolves to a whole number of teaspoons.
⅓ cup is 5 tbsp + 1 tsp
Not "about 5". Measuring 5 level tablespoons and stopping loses a full teaspoon, which matters for leavening and salt.
48 teaspoons fill a cup
16 × 3. Useful when a recipe gives a large quantity in teaspoons and you want to sanity-check it.
2 tablespoons is ⅛ cup
Also 1 fluid ounce, which is why 2 tbsp is the standard measure on the side of a liquid measuring jug.
Australian tablespoons break the ratio
At 20 ml they hold four teaspoons, not three. If your spoons came from Australia, check before converting anything.
Quick answers
Direct answers for each common cup fraction.
How many tablespoons are in ⅓ cup?
5⅓ tablespoons, which is best measured as 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
How many tablespoons are in ½ cup?
Exactly 8 tablespoons. Also 24 teaspoons or 4 fluid ounces.
How many tablespoons are in ⅔ cup?
10⅔ tablespoons — measure it as 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons.
How many tablespoons are in ¼ cup?
Exactly 4 tablespoons, or 2 fluid ounces.
6 tablespoons equals how many cups?
0.375 cups, which is ⅜ of a cup. In practice, measure ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
How many tablespoons are in ¾ cup?
Exactly 12 tablespoons, or 36 teaspoons.
Does the ingredient change the answer?
No. Cups and tablespoons both measure volume, so 16 tablespoons fill a cup regardless of what you put in it. Only weight conversions depend on the ingredient.
Related converters
To turn those cups into grams instead, use the cup to grams calculator. For weight straight to spoons, use the main grams to tablespoons converter, and for teaspoons, ounces and gallons see the baking conversion chart.
Who uses this
Anyone missing a measuring cup
The most common reason for this conversion: the ⅓ cup measure is in the dishwasher and you need to get on with it.
Cooks scaling recipes down
A third of ½ cup is not obvious. A third of 8 tablespoons is 2⅔ tablespoons, which is 2 tbsp + 2 tsp.
Anyone measuring sticky ingredients
Honey and syrup cling to a cup and leave some behind. Several tablespoons waste less than one large cup.
Further reading
Guides that explain the numbers behind this converter.
volume · 7 min read
Teaspoons, Tablespoons, and Cups: The Complete Volume Conversion GuideEvery volume relationship in one place — teaspoons to tablespoons to cups to gallons — plus the international spoon differences.cups · 5 min read
Tablespoons to Cups: A Quick Reference for Home BakersA complete tablespoons-to-cups table, why 16 is the magic number, and how to handle the awkward figures like 6 and 10 tablespoons.fractions · 6 min read
1/3 Cup, 3/4 Cup, and Other Fraction Conversions ExplainedWhy 1/3 cup isn't a whole number of tablespoons, how to measure it exactly using teaspoons, and a full table of every cup fraction you'll meet.
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Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in ⅓ of a cup?
5⅓ tablespoons. Since a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, measure it as 5 level tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon for an exact result.
½ cup is how many tablespoons?
Exactly 8 tablespoons, because there are 16 tablespoons in a full US cup. This holds for any ingredient.
6 tablespoons equals how many cups?
⅜ of a cup, or 0.375 cups. The easiest way to measure it is ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
Why are there exactly 16 tablespoons in a cup?
Because US customary units define a tablespoon as ½ fluid ounce and a cup as 8 fluid ounces. Sixteen halves make eight, so the ratio is exact rather than rounded.
Does this work with Australian tablespoons?
No. The Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, a third larger than the US and metric 15 ml spoon. Using an Australian spoon with these figures would add about 33% to every measurement.
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Measure it exactly, not approximately
Get the tablespoon figure with its teaspoon remainder worked out, so awkward fractions like ⅓ and ⅔ become something you can actually measure. Then convert to grams if you would rather weigh it.
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