Volume conversions: cups, ml, dl and spoons
Volume conversions are the safe ones: a millilitre is a millilitre regardless of what is in the jug, so converting between cups, decilitres, millilitres, tablespoons and teaspoons is exact arithmetic rather than an estimate.
The catch is that a "cup" is not one thing. This page uses the US customary cup of 240 ml. A metric cup is 250 ml — about 4% larger — and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml where everyone else uses 15 ml. For liquids that difference is usually harmless; for raising agents in baking it is not.
Convert any amount
Cups to millilitres, decilitres and spoons
Based on the US customary cup of 240 ml.
| Cups | ml | dl | tbsp | tsp | fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | 60 | 0.6 | 4 | 12 | 2.03 |
| ⅓ | 80 | 0.8 | 5.33 | 16 | 2.71 |
| ½ | 120 | 1.2 | 8 | 24 | 4.06 |
| ⅔ | 160 | 1.6 | 10.7 | 32 | 5.41 |
| ¾ | 180 | 1.8 | 12 | 36 | 6.09 |
| 1 | 240 | 2.4 | 16 | 48 | 8.12 |
| 1½ | 360 | 3.6 | 24 | 72 | 12.2 |
| 2 | 480 | 4.8 | 32 | 96 | 16.2 |
| 3 | 720 | 7.2 | 48 | 144 | 24.3 |
| 4 | 960 | 9.6 | 64 | 192 | 32.5 |
Millilitres to decilitres, cups and spoons
| ml | dl | cup | tbsp | tsp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.33 | 1 |
| 15 | 0.15 | 0.06 | 1 | 3 |
| 30 | 0.3 | 0.12 | 2 | 6 |
| 50 | 0.5 | 0.21 | 3.33 | 10 |
| 60 | 0.6 | 0.25 | 4 | 12 |
| 100 | 1 | 0.42 | 6.67 | 20 |
| 120 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 8 | 24 |
| 150 | 1.5 | 0.62 | 10 | 30 |
| 200 | 2 | 0.83 | 13.3 | 40 |
| 240 | 2.4 | 1 | 16 | 48 |
| 250 | 2.5 | 1.04 | 16.7 | 50 |
| 500 | 5 | 2.08 | 33.3 | 100 |
| 1000 | 10 | 4.17 | 66.7 | 200 |
Decilitres to millilitres and cups
| dl | ml | cup | tbsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 50 | 0.21 | 3.33 |
| 1 | 100 | 0.42 | 6.67 |
| 1.5 | 150 | 0.62 | 10 |
| 2 | 200 | 0.83 | 13.3 |
| 2.5 | 250 | 1.04 | 16.7 |
| 3 | 300 | 1.25 | 20 |
| 4 | 400 | 1.67 | 26.7 |
| 5 | 500 | 2.08 | 33.3 |
| 10 | 1000 | 4.17 | 66.7 |
Tablespoons and teaspoons
| tbsp | tsp | ml | cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 0.75 | 3.75 | 0.02 |
| 0.5 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0.03 |
| 1 | 3 | 15 | 0.06 |
| 2 | 6 | 30 | 0.12 |
| 3 | 9 | 45 | 0.19 |
| 4 | 12 | 60 | 0.25 |
| 6 | 18 | 90 | 0.38 |
| 8 | 24 | 120 | 0.5 |
| 12 | 36 | 180 | 0.75 |
| 16 | 48 | 240 | 1 |
A cup is not one size
The tables above use the US customary cup of 240 ml, which is what American recipes and this site mean by "a cup". A metric cup is 250 ml, used in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Scandinavia — about 4% larger. An old imperial UK cup was 284 ml, though modern British recipes almost always give weights instead.
For liquids, 4% rarely matters. For baking powder, salt or yeast it can, which is why those are worth measuring by spoon or scale rather than by cup.
Spoons are not standard either
A tablespoon is 15 ml almost everywhere — except Australia, where it is 20 ml, or four teaspoons rather than three. If you are following an Australian recipe with a European spoon, add a teaspoon to every tablespoon.
Fluid ounces are a volume
A fluid ounce measures space, an ounce measures mass, and they are only interchangeable for water. A US fluid ounce is 29.57 ml; a UK fluid ounce is 28.41 ml. When an American recipe says "8 oz of milk" it means fluid ounces — a cup.
Handy tools for this
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Frequently asked questions
- How many ml is 1 cup?
- 1 US cup is 240 ml. A metric cup is 250 ml, about 4% larger.
- How many dl is 1 cup?
- 1 US cup is 2.4 dl.
- How many tablespoons are in a cup?
- There are 16 tablespoons in a US cup, and 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon.
- How many ml is a tablespoon?
- A tablespoon is 15 ml in Europe and the US, but 20 ml in Australia.
- How many ml is a teaspoon?
- A teaspoon is 5 ml.
- Is 250 ml the same as a cup?
- Not quite. 250 ml is 1.04 US cups. 250 ml is exactly one metric cup.
- How many dl is 1 litre?
- 1 litre is 10 dl.