Liquid Measurement Conversion Chart: Cups, Fluid Ounces, Pints and mL
In US measurements, 1 cup equals 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons or about 237 mL. Two cups make a pint, 4 cups a quart, and 16 cups a gallon (3.79 L). British imperial units share the same names but are larger, apart from the fluid ounce, which is slightly smaller.
Assumptions used on this page
- US customary units unless marked imperial. The exact US cup is 236.6 mL; recipes and nutrition labels often round it to 240 mL.
- Metric spoons and cups (Canada, UK, Australia, NZ): teaspoon 5 mL, tablespoon 15 mL (20 mL in Australia), cup 250 mL.
- Millilitres are rounded to the nearest whole number, or to 2 decimal places for litres.
US liquid measurement chart
| US measure | Teaspoons / tablespoons | Fluid ounces | Cups | Millilitres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 1 tsp | ⅙ fl oz | — | 5 mL (4.93) |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 tsp | ½ fl oz | 1/16 cup | 15 mL (14.79) |
| 2 tablespoons | 6 tsp | 1 fl oz | ⅛ cup | 30 mL (29.57) |
| ¼ cup | 4 tbsp | 2 fl oz | ¼ cup | 59 mL |
| ⅓ cup | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 2⅔ fl oz | ⅓ cup | 79 mL |
| ½ cup | 8 tbsp | 4 fl oz | ½ cup | 118 mL |
| ⅔ cup | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 5⅓ fl oz | ⅔ cup | 158 mL |
| ¾ cup | 12 tbsp | 6 fl oz | ¾ cup | 177 mL |
| 1 cup | 16 tbsp | 8 fl oz | 1 cup | 237 mL |
| 1 pint | 32 tbsp | 16 fl oz | 2 cups | 473 mL |
| 1 quart | 2 pints | 32 fl oz | 4 cups | 946 mL |
| ½ gallon | 2 quarts | 64 fl oz | 8 cups | 1.89 L |
| 1 gallon | 4 quarts | 128 fl oz | 16 cups | 3.79 L |
Fluid ounces to millilitres
| Fluid ounces | US fl oz (29.57 mL) | Imperial fl oz (28.41 mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 fl oz | 30 mL | 28 mL |
| 2 fl oz | 59 mL | 57 mL |
| 4 fl oz | 118 mL | 114 mL |
| 5 fl oz | 148 mL | 142 mL |
| 6 fl oz | 177 mL | 170 mL |
| 8 fl oz | 237 mL | 227 mL |
| 10 fl oz | 296 mL | 284 mL |
| 12 fl oz | 355 mL | 341 mL |
| 16 fl oz | 473 mL | 455 mL |
| 20 fl oz | 591 mL | 568 mL |
| 32 fl oz | 946 mL | 909 mL |
| 64 fl oz | 1.89 L | 1.82 L |
Two handy matches: a 12 fl oz can of pop is 355 mL, and a 20 fl oz bottle is 591 mL.
Millilitres and litres to US measures
| Metric | US equivalent |
|---|---|
| 5 mL | 1 tsp |
| 15 mL | 1 tbsp |
| 30 mL | 2 tbsp (1 fl oz) |
| 60 mL | ¼ cup |
| 80 mL | ⅓ cup |
| 125 mL | ½ cup + 1½ tsp |
| 250 mL | 1 cup + 1 tbsp |
| 500 mL | 2 cups + 2 tbsp |
| 750 mL (wine bottle) | 3 cups + 3 tbsp (approx.) |
| 1 L | 4.2 cups (33.8 fl oz) |
| 2 L | 8.5 cups (just over ½ gallon) |
| 4 L (Canadian milk bag pack) | 16.9 cups (just over 1 gallon) |
US vs imperial units
| Unit | US | Imperial (UK, older Canadian recipes) |
|---|---|---|
| Fluid ounce | 29.57 mL | 28.41 mL |
| Cup | 8 fl oz, 236.6 mL | 10 fl oz, 284 mL |
| Pint | 16 fl oz, 473 mL | 20 fl oz, 568 mL |
| Quart | 32 fl oz, 946 mL | 40 fl oz, 1.14 L |
| Gallon | 128 fl oz, 3.79 L | 160 fl oz, 4.55 L |
The imperial fluid ounce is about 4% smaller than the US one, but there are more of them in each larger unit, so the imperial pint, quart and gallon are all about 20% bigger.
Small and informal measures
| Term | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dash (liquid) | A few drops, about ⅛ tsp (0.6 mL) |
| Splash | About 1–2 tsp, informal |
| UK dessert spoon | 10 mL |
| Jigger / US shot | 1½ fl oz, 44 mL |
| Pony | 1 fl oz, 30 mL |
| Wine glass serving | 5 fl oz, about 150 mL |
Dash and splash aren't standardized. Treat them as "a little, to taste."
Fluid ounces vs ounces by weight
A fluid ounce measures space; an ounce (28.35 g) measures weight. They match closely only for water and water-like liquids.
| 1 US cup (8 fl oz) of… | Weight |
|---|---|
| Water | 237 g, 8.3 oz |
| Milk | 245 g, 8.6 oz |
| Vegetable oil | 218 g, 7.7 oz |
| Maple syrup | 315 g, 11.1 oz |
| Honey | 340 g, 12 oz |
So if a recipe says "8 oz honey," it means weight, which is only about ⅔ cup, not a full cup.
Chef Fizz says: Liquids measure best at eye level! Crouch down, read the bottom of the curved surface, and pour with confidence.
Measuring liquids accurately
- Use a clear liquid measuring jug with a spout and markings below the rim, not a dry measuring cup that has to be filled to the brim.
- Set it on a flat counter and read at eye level. Liquid surfaces curve slightly (the meniscus); read the bottom of the curve.
- For sticky liquids like honey or molasses, lightly oil the cup first, or weigh them instead.
- Weighing liquids is often fastest: 1 mL of water weighs 1 g, so 237 g of water on a scale is exactly 1 US cup.
For dry measuring cups and fractions, see cups to millilitres. For spoons, see tablespoons to teaspoons.
Questions
How many fluid ounces are in a cup?
A US cup holds 8 US fluid ounces (236.6 mL). An old imperial cup holds 10 imperial fluid ounces (284 mL), and a metric cup holds 250 mL, about 8.5 US fluid ounces.
How many cups are in a quart and a gallon?
There are 4 cups in a US quart (946 mL) and 16 cups in a US gallon (3.79 L). A gallon is also 4 quarts or 8 pints.
Is a fluid ounce the same as an ounce?
No. A fluid ounce measures volume and an ounce measures weight. They only line up for water: 8 fl oz of water weighs about 8.3 oz (237 g). Honey is much heavier, about 12 oz per cup, and oil is lighter, about 7.7 oz.
Is a UK pint bigger than a US pint?
Yes. An imperial pint is 20 imperial fluid ounces, 568 mL, while a US pint is 16 US fluid ounces, 473 mL. The UK pint is about 20% larger.
How many mL is a shot or a jigger?
A standard US jigger or shot is 1 1/2 fl oz, about 44 mL. Canadian bars commonly pour a 1 1/2 oz shot too, and many UK bars use 25 mL or 35 mL measures.