The one number to remember: about 15 mL
A US tablespoon is defined as half a fluid ounce, which works out to 14.79 mL. A metric tablespoon is a round 15 mL. The gap is 1.4%, so for cooking you can safely call any tablespoon 15 mL. It only matters if you scale a recipe up by a lot.
The Australian tablespoon is bigger
Australia set its tablespoon at 20 mL — four teaspoons, not three. A recipe written in Australia therefore puts about a third more into each "tablespoon" than a US or European one, which is a common reason a scaled-up recipe comes out wrong.
Same word, three sizes. The Australian tablespoon holds a third more than the US or metric one — check where a recipe was written before you trust its tablespoons.
Common amounts
| Tablespoons | US (mL) | Metric (mL) | Australian (mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ tbsp | 7.39 | 7.5 | 10 |
| 1 tbsp | 14.79 | 15 | 20 |
| 2 tbsp | 29.57 | 30 | 40 |
| 3 tbsp | 44.36 | 45 | 60 |
| 4 tbsp (¼ cup) | 59.15 | 60 | 80 |
| 8 tbsp (½ cup) | 118.29 | 120 | 160 |
| 16 tbsp (1 cup) | 236.59 | 240 | 320 |
Handy anchors: 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, 2 tablespoons is about 1 fluid ounce, and 16 US tablespoons make a US cup (236.6 mL).
Where the difference bites
- Teaspoon vs tablespoon. Mixing these up is a threefold error, since a tablespoon is 3 teaspoons. In liquid medicine that can be a real dosing mistake.
- Kitchen spoons are not measuring spoons. A spoon from the drawer can hold anywhere from 10 to 20 mL. Use a marked measuring spoon when the amount matters.
- A tablespoon measures volume, not weight. A tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of flour fill the same space but weigh very different amounts.
Common questions
How many millilitres are in a tablespoon?
A US tablespoon is 14.79 mL, and a metric tablespoon is 15 mL. In the kitchen the two are close enough to treat as the same. An Australian tablespoon is the odd one out at 20 mL.
Is a tablespoon 15 mL or 20 mL?
It is 15 mL almost everywhere, including the US (14.79 mL) and Europe. Only Australia uses a 20 mL tablespoon, so an Australian recipe puts about a third more into every "tablespoon" than a US one.
How many tablespoons is 100 mL?
100 mL is 6.76 US tablespoons, or 6.67 metric tablespoons. Two US tablespoons make almost exactly one fluid ounce (29.6 mL).
