What this calculator does
Tablespoon to mL depends on which country's tablespoon is being used, since the US, UK and Australia each define it slightly differently. This calculator covers all three: a US tablespoon is 14.7868 mL, a UK or metric tablespoon is 15 mL, and an Australian tablespoon is 20 mL, noticeably larger than the other two.
Enter a number of tablespoons or a volume in mL, choose the standard, pick a direction, and the conversion comes back immediately, along with the equivalent in US fluid ounces.
The formula
To convert tablespoons to mL, multiply by the tablespoon size for the standard chosen: 14.7868 mL for US, 15 mL for UK/metric, or 20 mL for Australian. To convert mL to tablespoons, divide by the same figure.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| US tablespoon | 14.7868 mL, the standard used in US recipes and by most US-made measuring spoons. |
| UK / metric tablespoon | 15 mL exactly, used in UK recipes and most countries that measure by the metric tablespoon. |
| Australian tablespoon | 20 mL, a third larger than the US or UK tablespoon, a common source of error when following a US or UK recipe in Australia or vice versa. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Value | The value to convert, either a number of tablespoons or a volume in mL, depending on the direction chosen below. |
| Convert | Choose whether to convert tablespoons to mL, or mL to tablespoons. |
| Tablespoon standard | Which tablespoon standard to use: US, UK/metric or Australian. |
When to use it
Checking how many mL in a tablespoon for a recipe
A recipe that calls for tablespoons of a liquid ingredient converts cleanly to mL for anyone measuring with a jug or a metric measuring spoon instead.
Converting an Australian recipe for a US or UK kitchen
Because the Australian tablespoon is 20 mL against 14.7868 mL in the US, using a US tablespoon to measure an Australian recipe's tablespoon quantities under-measures a liquid ingredient by about a third.
Converting a dose or measurement given in mL back to tablespoons
A liquid medicine or ingredient dose specified in mL converts back to tablespoons when a kitchen or medicine spoon marked in tablespoons is the only measuring tool on hand.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How many mL is a tablespoon, across all three standards?
A single tablespoon, converted to mL for each of the three tablespoon standards this calculator supports.
| Standard | Millilitres |
|---|---|
| US | 14.79 mL |
| UK / metric | 15.00 mL |
| Australian | 20.00 mL |
Tablespoon to mL, at common recipe quantities (US)
A range of tablespoon quantities, using the US standard, each converted to mL.
Questions
How many mL in a tablespoon?
It depends on the standard: 14.7868 mL for a US tablespoon, 15 mL for a UK or metric tablespoon, and 20 mL for an Australian tablespoon.
What is 1 tablespoon in mL?
1 US tablespoon is 14.7868 mL. 1 UK or metric tablespoon is exactly 15 mL. 1 Australian tablespoon is 20 mL.
Why is the Australian tablespoon bigger than the US or UK one?
Australia standardised its tablespoon at 20 mL, aligned with 4 Australian teaspoons of 5 mL each, while the US and UK tablespoon evolved from older customary and metric-adjacent measures that landed closer to 15 mL.
How many US tablespoons are in a cup?
16 US tablespoons make one US cup, since a US tablespoon is 1/16 of a US cup by definition.
For the full cooking measures ladder, cups, teaspoons, fluid ounces and mL together, see the cooking measures converter. For converting butter tablespoons to grams instead of mL, see the butter tablespoons to grams calculator.