How Many Milligrams in a Tablespoon?
14,787 mg
1 US tablespoon of water weighs 14,787 milligrams. Other ingredients weigh more or less, so pick yours in the converter.
Tablespoons to Milligrams conversion chart
| Tablespoons | Milligrams (water) |
|---|---|
| one half tablespoon | 7,393 |
| 1 tbsp | 14,787 |
| 1 and one half tablespoons | 22,180 |
| 2 tbsp | 29,574 |
| 3 tbsp | 44,360 |
| 4 tbsp | 59,147 |
| 5 tbsp | 73,934 |
| 5 and one third tablespoons | 78,863 |
| 6 tbsp | 88,721 |
| 8 tbsp | 118,294 |
| 10 tbsp | 147,868 |
| 10 and two thirds tablespoons | 157,725 |
| 12 tbsp | 177,441 |
| 14 tbsp | 207,015 |
| 16 tbsp | 236,588 |
| 18 tbsp | 266,162 |
| 20 tbsp | 295,735 |
| 24 tbsp | 354,882 |
| 32 tbsp | 473,176 |
| 48 tbsp | 709,765 |
| 64 tbsp | 946,353 |
How to convert tablespoons to milligrams
milligrams = tablespoons × 14,786.8
Example: 3 tbsp × 14,786.8 = 44,360 mg.
Find what one tablespoon of the food weighs in grams, then multiply by 1,000, the number of milligrams in a gram. Multiply again by the number of tablespoons. The converter does both steps once you pick the ingredient.
A level tablespoon of granulated sugar weighs about 12.5 g, which is 12,500 mg. Half a tablespoon comes to about 6,250 mg, and 2 tbsp to about 25,000 mg.
Numbers this long are easier to read in grams. For spoon weights in grams, see tablespoons to grams.
US vs UK tablespoons
Metric tablespoons hold a round number of milliliters, which keeps the water math tidy. A UK tablespoon of water weighs 15,000 mg, and an Australian tablespoon of water 20,000 mg.
The US spoon is a little smaller than the UK one, as the table below shows. For small amounts, check which spoon your recipe has in mind before you convert.
| Unit | Size | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| US tablespoon | 14.79 ml | US |
| metric tablespoon | 15 ml | UK, Canada, New Zealand |
| Australian tablespoon | 20 ml | Australia |
Why weight depends on the ingredient
A milligram is a unit of weight, and a tablespoon is a unit of volume. The number of milligrams in the spoon therefore changes with the food you put in it.
By USDA data, a level tablespoon of active dry yeast weighs 12,000 mg, while the same spoon of raw garlic comes to about 8,500 mg. Denser foods pack more milligrams into the same space.
| Ingredient | 1 tbsp = |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 7,813 mg |
| Granulated sugar | 12,500 mg |
| Butter | 14,188 mg |
| Milk | 15,250 mg |
| Powdered sugar | 7,500 mg |
| Shredded cheese | 7,063 mg |
Milligrams or milliliters?
The abbreviations mg and ml differ by one letter, and they are easy to mix up. Milliliters measure volume, and a US tablespoon holds 14.8 ml. Milligrams measure weight, so the same spoon can hold very different numbers of them.
If you meant the size of the spoon rather than the weight of what is in it, the tablespoons to milliliters page has that answer.
Tablespoons and milligrams: questions
Is a tablespoon 15 mg or 15 ml?
Milliliters is the right unit. A UK tablespoon holds 15 ml, and a US tablespoon 14.8 ml. Measured by weight, a spoonful is thousands of milligrams: a US tablespoon of water weighs 14,787 mg.
How many milligrams is half a tablespoon?
Half a US tablespoon of water weighs 7,393 mg, and half a tablespoon of active dry yeast about 6,000 mg. Half a tablespoon equals 1 1/2 teaspoons, so a teaspoon is the easier tool for it.
How many milligrams are in a tablespoon of powdered sugar?
About 7,500 mg for a level, unsifted tablespoon. Powdered (icing) sugar is fluffy, so it weighs far less per spoon than granulated sugar. A heaped spoon can hold much more, so level it with a knife.
What does "mg per tablespoon" on a label mean?
It usually gives the amount of one nutrient or ingredient in a tablespoon of the product, not the weight of the whole spoonful. A unit converter cannot work that number out. Read it from the label and use it as written.
How many milligrams are in a gram?
A gram is 1,000 milligrams, so any weight in grams turns into milligrams by multiplying by 1,000. For example, 2.5 g is 2,500 milligrams, and going back, divide milligrams by 1,000 to get grams.
Related conversions
Sources: Unit definitions: NIST Handbook 44 · Densities: USDA FoodData Central · Last reviewed · Report an error
https://howmanyounces.com/tablespoons-to-milligrams/