Tablespoons to Cups (tbsp to cups)
0.0625 cup
1 US tablespoon equals 0.0625 cup; it takes 16 tablespoons to make 1 US cup.
UK: 1 metric tablespoon (15 ml) = 0.06 cup
Exact: 1 tbsp = 0.0625 cup
Tablespoons to Cups conversion chart
| Tablespoons | Cups |
|---|---|
| one half tablespoon | 0.03125 |
| 1 tbsp | 0.0625 |
| 1 and one half tablespoons | 0.09375 |
| 2 tbsp | one eighth |
| 3 tbsp | 0.1875 |
| 4 tbsp | one quarter |
| 5 tbsp | 0.3125 |
| 5 and one third tablespoons | one third |
| 6 tbsp | three eighths |
| 8 tbsp | one half |
| 10 tbsp | five eighths |
| 10 and two thirds tablespoons | two thirds |
| 12 tbsp | three quarters |
| 14 tbsp | seven eighths |
| 16 tbsp | 1 |
| 18 tbsp | 1 and one eighth |
| 20 tbsp | 1 and one quarter |
| 24 tbsp | 1 and one half |
| 32 tbsp | 2 |
| 48 tbsp | 3 |
| 64 tbsp | 4 |
How to convert tablespoons to cups
cups = tablespoons ÷ 16
Example: 3 tbsp ÷ 16 = 0.1875 cup.
Divide the tablespoons by 16. The result is often a fraction, so it helps to know the counts that land right on a cup line.
4 tablespoons make 1/4 cup, 8 tablespoons make 1/2 cup, and 12 tablespoons make 3/4 cup. Other counts fall between the lines of a standard set.
For those, take the next smaller cup and top it up with spoons. 14 tablespoons are 7/8 cup, so fill a 3/4 cup measure and add 2 tablespoons.
US vs UK tablespoons and cups
Spoon counts from other countries turn into different cup amounts. Four British tablespoons of 15 ml come to about 0.25 of a US cup, which is practically a quarter cup.
Four Australian tablespoons are another matter. At 20 ml each they make 80 ml, about 0.34 of a US cup, which is closer to a third than a quarter.
The metric cup of 250 ml is a little bigger again. When a British or Australian recipe lists both spoons and cups, measure everything with metric tools.
| Unit | Size | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| US tablespoon | 14.79 ml | US |
| metric tablespoon | 15 ml | UK, Canada, New Zealand |
| Australian tablespoon | 20 ml | Australia |
| US cup | 236.6 ml | US |
| US legal cup | 240 ml | US nutrition labels |
| metric cup | 250 ml | UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand |
When should you switch from spoons to a cup?
Scaling a recipe up turns spoon amounts into piles of spoonfuls. Counting a dozen scoops is slow, and it is easy to lose track halfway.
Doubling 5 tablespoons of oil gives 10 tablespoons, which is 5/8 cup: measure 1/2 cup and add 2 tablespoons. Tripling 6 tablespoons of melted butter gives 18 tablespoons, or 1 1/8 cups, which is 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
For the opposite job, splitting a cup into spoonfuls, see cups to tablespoons.
Tablespoons and cups: questions
Is 8 tablespoons half a cup?
Yes. 8 tablespoons fill 1/2 cup exactly, which is also 4 fluid ounces. For liquids, one pour to the 1/2 cup line of a liquid measuring cup does the job faster than eight spoonfuls.
How many cups is 6 tablespoons?
6 tablespoons equal 3/8 cup. If your set has no 3/8 cup measure, fill the 1/4 cup and add 2 tablespoons, which gives the same amount.
Is 5 tablespoons a third of a cup?
Almost. 5 tablespoons are 0.3125 cup, just short of 1/3 cup. Add 1 teaspoon and you have exactly a third, because a third of a cup is 5 1/3 tablespoons.
How many cups are 12 tablespoons of butter?
12 tablespoons of butter fill 3/4 cup, which is 1 1/2 sticks of US butter. By USDA data, that much butter weighs about 170 grams.
How many cups is 20 tablespoons?
20 tablespoons are 1 1/4 cups: one full cup plus a quarter cup. As a liquid, that is also 10 fluid ounces, so a liquid measuring cup with ounce marks works too.
Related conversions
Sources: Unit definitions: NIST Handbook 44 · Last reviewed · Report an error
https://howmanyounces.com/tablespoons-to-cups/