March 28, 20264 min read

Tablespoon to ML Converter — Cooking & Medicine Dosing Reference

Convert tablespoons and teaspoons to milliliters. Includes a full spoon measurement table, medicine dosing guide, and US vs UK tablespoon differences.

tablespoon to ml tbsp to ml teaspoon to ml cooking conversion calchub

A US tablespoon is 14.787 mL — almost universally rounded to 15 mL in recipes and medicine dosing. A teaspoon is one-third of that: about 4.93 mL, rounded to 5 mL.

These tiny measurements matter a lot in baking and even more in medicine, where getting the dose right by a few mL is actually important. CalcHub's tablespoon to ml converter handles the exact values, but the tables here are what you'll want printed on your fridge.

The Core Relationships

1 tablespoon (US) = 3 teaspoons = 14.787 mL ≈ 15 mL
1 teaspoon (US) = 4.929 mL ≈ 5 mL
1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons = 29.574 mL ≈ 30 mL

Full Spoon Measurement Conversion Table

Measurement	mL (Exact)	mL (Rounded)
1/4 teaspoon	1.23	1.25
1/2 teaspoon	2.46	2.5
3/4 teaspoon	3.70	3.75
1 teaspoon	4.93	5
1.5 teaspoons	7.39	7.5
2 teaspoons	9.86	10
1 tablespoon	14.79	15
1.5 tablespoons	22.18	22
2 tablespoons	29.57	30
3 tablespoons	44.36	44
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup)	59.15	60
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup)	118.29	120
16 tablespoons (1 cup)	236.59	240

US vs UK vs Australian Tablespoon

Country	Tablespoon Size
United States	14.787 mL
Australia	20 mL
UK (old imperial)	17.758 mL
Canada	15 mL

Australian tablespoons are 20 mL — noticeably larger. If you're following an Aussie recipe, that "tablespoon of baking powder" is 20 mL, not 15 mL. For leavening agents this can actually affect your bake.

Medicine Dosing Reference

Most liquid medicines are dosed in mL, but many home spoons are mislabeled or inconsistent. Use a proper medicine syringe for accuracy — a kitchen spoon is unreliable.

Common Dose	mL
1 teaspoon (children's meds)	5 mL
1.5 teaspoons	7.5 mL
2 teaspoons	10 mL
1 tablespoon (adult dose)	15 mL
2 tablespoons	30 mL

Important: For any medicine dose, verify the exact amount with the label or a pharmacist. "One teaspoon" in a medical context always means 5 mL precisely, not whatever a random spoon from your drawer holds.

Cooking Examples

Vanilla extract in a cake: Most recipes call for 1 teaspoon = 5 mL. Doubling a recipe means 2 tsp = 10 mL. Olive oil for sautéing: 2 tablespoons = 30 mL = about 2 seconds of pour from a standard bottle. Salt in bread dough: 1.5 teaspoons = 7.5 mL (by volume). Note that salt is measured by weight in serious baking — 1.5 tsp ≈ 9 g of fine salt.

Is a kitchen tablespoon actually 15 mL?

A flatware tablespoon from a cutlery set typically holds 7–14 mL — it's not a reliable measuring tool. A proper measuring tablespoon is 15 mL (US) or 20 mL (Australia).

How many tablespoons in 100 mL?

100 ÷ 14.787 = 6.76 tablespoons (US). Roughly 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons.

Can I use teaspoons instead of mL for medicine?

Only if you're using a calibrated measuring teaspoon, not a flatware teaspoon. Most pharmacists recommend oral syringes marked in mL for children's liquid medicine.