There are 14.8 ml in a US tablespoon, and 15 ml in a metric tablespoon. Both answers are correct, and the difference is so small — about 1 percent — that it does not matter in cooking. A US tablespoon holds 14.79 ml, which is usually rounded to 14.8 ml, and a metric tablespoon holds exactly 15 ml. If a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of oil, that is about 30 ml either way. The exception is the Australian tablespoon, which holds 20 ml, and that one does matter. This page gives you the table, the examples, and the measuring tricks for small amounts.
The conversion table
| Tablespoons | US millilitres | Metric millilitres | Teaspoons | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 tbsp | 7.4 ml | 7.5 ml | 1 1/2 tsp | 1/32 cup |
| 1 tbsp | 14.8 ml | 15 ml | 3 tsp | 1/16 cup |
| 2 tbsp | 29.6 ml | 30 ml | 6 tsp | 1/8 cup |
| 3 tbsp | 44.4 ml | 45 ml | 9 tsp | 3/16 cup |
| 4 tbsp | 59.1 ml | 60 ml | 12 tsp | 1/4 cup |
| 5 tbsp | 73.9 ml | 75 ml | 15 tsp | 5/16 cup |
| 6 tbsp | 88.7 ml | 90 ml | 18 tsp | 3/8 cup |
| 8 tbsp | 118.3 ml | 120 ml | 24 tsp | 1/2 cup |
| 12 tbsp | 177.4 ml | 180 ml | 36 tsp | 3/4 cup |
| 16 tbsp | 236.6 ml | 240 ml | 48 tsp | 1 cup |
The US column is rounded to one decimal place. The metric column is exact, because a metric tablespoon is defined as 15 ml.
Worked example 1: a salad dressing in millilitres
A vinaigrette recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and your measuring jug is marked in millilitres. Three tablespoons is 44.4 ml, and one tablespoon is 14.8 ml, so measure 44 ml of oil and 15 ml of vinegar. For a dressing, you can round to the nearest 5 ml without any harm: 45 ml of oil and 15 ml of vinegar gives the same 3-to-1 ratio, and the dressing will taste identical. The conversion matters most when you are scaling: if you want four times the dressing, you need 12 tablespoons of oil, which is 177 ml, and 4 tablespoons of vinegar, which is 59 ml, and those are numbers a jug can measure.
Worked example 2: medicine, where precision matters
A cough syrup dose is 1 tablespoon, and the bottle gives the dose in millilitres as 15 ml. That is the metric tablespoon, and it is the figure you should use, measured with the dosing spoon or syringe that came with the bottle — not with a kitchen tablespoon, which can hold anywhere from 10 to 20 ml. The difference between 14.8 ml and 15 ml does not matter here, but the difference between a kitchen spoon and a dosing spoon does. Never use a cutlery tablespoon for medicine, and never use a kitchen tablespoon to measure a precise chemical or a small amount of a potent ingredient.
Worked example 3: a recipe written in millilitres only
A European recipe calls for 30 ml of oil, and you want to know how many tablespoons that is. Thirty millilitres divided by 14.8 is 2.03, so it is 2 tablespoons, with a drop left over. Thirty millilitres divided by 15 is exactly 2, which is why European recipes are so often written in multiples of 15 ml: 15 ml is a tablespoon, 30 ml is two tablespoons, 45 ml is three, and 60 ml is four. If you see a recipe that calls for 45 ml of something, it was written as 3 tablespoons, and you can measure it with a tablespoon instead of a jug.
Method and source
A US tablespoon is defined as half a US fluid ounce, and a US fluid ounce is 29.5735 millilitres, so a US tablespoon is 14.7868 millilitres, usually rounded to 14.8 ml. A metric tablespoon is defined as exactly 15 millilitres. The two are so close that they can be swapped in cooking without any noticeable difference — the gap is 0.21 ml, which is less than a drop. The Australian tablespoon is defined as 20 ml, which is 4 metric teaspoons, and that is the one exception: an Australian tablespoon is a third larger than a US tablespoon, so if a recipe calls for 2 Australian tablespoons and you measure 2 US tablespoons, you will be short by 10 ml.
Practical guidance
Use proper measuring spoons, not cutlery, because a tablespoon from the drawer can hold anywhere from 10 to 20 ml, and that variation will ruin a small batch. Level dry ingredients with the back of a knife, and fill the spoon to the brim for liquids. When a recipe gives an amount in millilitres that is a multiple of 15, convert it to tablespoons — 15 ml is a tablespoon, 30 ml is two, 45 ml is three, and 60 ml is four — because a spoon is easier and more accurate than a jug for small amounts. And when you scale a recipe, convert to millilitres first, do the multiplication, and convert back at the end, because millilitres are the smallest unit and the maths stays exact.
Frequently asked questions
How many millilitres are in 1 tablespoon?
There are 14.8 ml in 1 US tablespoon, and 15 ml in 1 metric tablespoon. The difference is about 1 percent, which does not matter in cooking. Use 15 ml as a round figure unless the recipe needs precision.
How many millilitres are in 2 tablespoons?
There are 29.6 ml in 2 US tablespoons, and 30 ml in 2 metric tablespoons. For most cooking, 30 ml is the figure to use, and it is the number you will see printed on most measuring jugs.
How many tablespoons are in 15 ml?
There is 1 tablespoon in 15 ml. Fifteen millilitres is the definition of a metric tablespoon, and it is very close to a US tablespoon, which is 14.8 ml, so one tablespoon is the right measure either way.
Is a tablespoon 15 ml everywhere?
Almost. A metric tablespoon is 15 ml, and a US tablespoon is 14.8 ml, which is close enough to call 15 ml in cooking. The exception is Australia, where a tablespoon is 20 ml, so check the recipe's origin if it matters.
How many millilitres are in half a tablespoon?
There are 7.4 ml in half a US tablespoon, and 7.5 ml in half a metric tablespoon. Half a tablespoon is also 1 1/2 teaspoons, which is easier to measure with a teaspoon than with a jug.
Can I use a kitchen tablespoon to measure medicine?
No. Use the dosing spoon or syringe that came with the medicine. A kitchen tablespoon can hold anywhere from 10 to 20 ml, and that variation is dangerous for a dose. The millilitre figure on the bottle is the one to trust, measured with a proper device.
The tablespoon is one of the few measures that changes by country: the US tablespoon is 14.79 millilitres, the metric tablespoon used in the UK and Canada is 15, and the Australian tablespoon is 20. The difference is small for one spoonful but adds up across a recipe — a cake using eight Australian tablespoons of liquid has a third more liquid than the same recipe measured with US spoons.