Convert tsp to ml US teaspoons ↔ millilitres Free Online Secure
Type a value in US teaspoons and read it in millilitres at once. The factor is exact by definition, the arithmetic happens in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
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Convert from US teaspoons
Convert to millilitres
Common values — Convert tsp to ml (US teaspoons ↔ millilitres)
| tsp | ml |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4.92892159375 |
| 2 | 9.8578431875 |
| 3 | 14.78676478125 |
| 5 | 24.64460796875 |
| 10 | 49.2892159375 |
| 20 | 98.578431875 |
| 50 | 246.4460796875 |
| 100 | 492.892159375 |
Where these units come from
The litre has an awkward history. From 1901 it was defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water at its densest, which sounds elegant but came out at 1.000028 cubic decimetres — close enough to be confusing and far enough to spoil careful work. In 1964 the definition was abandoned and the litre became exactly one cubic decimetre, which it has been ever since. The gallon has a messier story still: the US gallon descends from the English wine gallon of 231 cubic inches, while Britain redefined its own in 1824 as the volume of ten pounds of water. Nobody reconciled the two, so a US gallon is 3.785411784 litres and an imperial gallon 4.54609 — about a fifth larger. The gallon, pint, cup, fluid ounce and spoons on this page are the US ones.
Where you meet them
Millilitres and litres run through daily life almost invisibly: bottles, fuel, paint, dosage, the capacity of a kettle. Cubic metres belong to water bills, concrete, shipping and the air a ventilation system has to move. Cubic centimetres name engine displacement, cubic feet appear in freight and in appliance capacities, and cups and spoons live almost entirely in recipes — which is exactly where the difference between a US cup and a metric one quietly ruins a cake.
Questions people ask
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Three. The US teaspoon here is 4.929 millilitres, close to the 5 millilitres of the metric one. A teaspoon from the cutlery drawer is not a reliable measure, so when dosing medicine or baking with something strong, such as baking powder, use a measuring spoon.
Is a millilitre the same as a cubic centimetre?
Yes, exactly. Since 1964 the litre has been defined as one cubic decimetre, so a millilitre is exactly one cubic centimetre. Before that the litre was very slightly larger, by about 28 parts in a million, which is why very old tables show a tiny difference. Today you can swap them freely.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
What each spoon in a measuring set really holds, in millilitres
A set of measuring spoons usually has five or six: a tablespoon, a teaspoon, a half, a quarter and an eighth, and sometimes a smidgen. They are marked in spoon fractions, not millilitres, so the real volumes are not obvious. To convert tsp to ml you multiply by 4.929: a teaspoon holds 4.93 ml, a half 2.46, a quarter 1.23, an eighth 0.62. This page multiplies as you type, and the text below looks at how spoon sets are made, how accurate they are, how a cook can test them, and what the metric versions hold.
The page covers the rule with examples, a note on each unit, a comparison, a tour of spoon sets and the slips to avoid. All arithmetic happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to convert tsp to ml: multiply by 4.929
The rule
One US teaspoon is exactly 4.92892159375 millilitres. To convert tsp to ml, multiply the teaspoons by 4.929, or by 5 and take off 1.4 percent. So 1 tsp is 4.93 ml, 2 tsp 9.86, 3 tsp 14.8, 6 tsp 29.6 and 12 tsp 59.1. In the other direction, divide millilitres by 4.929.
Worked examples
A half teaspoon holds 2.46 ml, a quarter 1.23, an eighth 0.62. Four teaspoons are 19.7 ml, almost 20. Two and a half teaspoons, 12.3 ml, are close to a metric tablespoon less a dash. A cup of 48 teaspoons is 236.6 ml.
Why not simply 5
Metric spoon sets hold exactly 5 ml for the teaspoon and 15 for the tablespoon, and many cooks use them with American recipes. The error is 1.4 percent, which no cake will show. To convert tsp to ml exactly, multiply by 4.929, and for a quick answer multiply by 5.
A quick sanity check
The millilitre is the smaller unit, so the number grows by nearly five times. If your “convert tsp to ml” calculation result grew by three or fifteen times, you used the tablespoon factor.
The teaspoon
One third of a tablespoon
The US teaspoon is 4.93 millilitres. It is the basic unit of small recipe quantities, and the one from which the quarter, half and eighth are made. It is abbreviated tsp, with a lower case t on many labels.
Where it appears
Recipes, spoon sets and spice labels.
The millilitre
A thousandth of a litre
Metric spoon sets are marked in millilitres: 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 15, with sometimes 0.6 and 20. A set marked 5 ml is a teaspoon for all practical purposes, and 15 ml a tablespoon.
Where it appears
European and Australasian spoon sets, medicine devices and labels.
Teaspoon and millilitre compared
A teaspoon holds nearly five millilitres. A set with 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 teaspoon covers 0.62, 1.23, 2.46 and 4.93 ml. The metric set with 1.25, 2.5 and 5 ml gives nearly the same volumes, so a US recipe works with either. The difference matters only for very precise or very large quantities.
The factor is not round, so estimates are approximate: multiply by 5 and subtract 1.4 percent. For exact work use 4.92892159375.
Where the conversion appears
What each spoon holds
A US set holds: tablespoon 14.79 ml, teaspoon 4.93, half teaspoon 2.46, quarter 1.23, eighth 0.62. A metric set holds 15, 5, 2.5 and 1.25. A British 5 ml spoon is a teaspoon. When you convert tsp to ml for each spoon in your set, you can mark the ml on the handle.
Dry and liquid spoons
Some sets have deeper spoons for liquids. Spoons for dry ingredients are filled and levelled with a knife, so the volume is exactly the capacity. For liquids, fill to the brim without spilling, with a steady hand. A level teaspoon of flour is 2.7 grams, one of salt 6 grams, one of water 4.9.
Testing a spoon with water
Place the spoon on a scale zeroed with a small bowl, fill it with water to the brim and read the weight. A true teaspoon gives 4.9 grams, a tablespoon 14.8. Spoons that differ by more than 10 percent are not suitable for baking where precision matters. The test costs nothing and takes a minute.
Spoon sizes in the set
Typical sets have 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon, sometimes 1/8 and 1/3 tablespoon. Their capacities are 14.79, 4.93, 2.46, 1.23, 0.62 and 4.93 millilitres. The 1/2 tablespoon is 7.39 ml, one and a half teaspoons. A set in one piece, nested on a ring, keeps the sizes together and avoids losing the small one.
Weights per teaspoon
A teaspoon of water weighs 4.9 grams, of table salt 6, of sugar 4.2, of baking powder 4.6, of flour 2.7, of honey 7, of oil 4.5, of cocoa 2.7. These are weights for the same volume of 4.93 ml, and they show why recipes that give volumes cannot be converted to weights with a single factor. Use a table for each ingredient.
In a spreadsheet
Put teaspoons in column A and use =A2*4.92892159 in column B. For the reverse, =B2/4.92892159. A column with =A2*weight_per_tsp gives grams. Format with two decimals for small spoons and keep the source column so that each figure can be traced back to the recipe.
Rounding
The factor is exact, so rounding is your choice. A half teaspoon is 2.46 ml, but a recipe measure is simply half a teaspoon. Round millilitres to one decimal for small spoons and to the nearest whole for tablespoons. For dosing, the device and label rule, not a rounded conversion.
A mental shortcut
Multiply teaspoons by 5 and take off 1.4 percent: 3 gives 15 less 0.2, 14.8. 6 gives 30 less 0.4, 29.6. A half teaspoon is 2.5, a quarter 1.2. The shortcut works because the metric spoon is only 1.4 percent larger, so for any kitchen use you can think of a teaspoon as 5 millilitres.
Reference values
1/8 tsp is 0.62 ml, 1/4 tsp is 1.23, 1/2 tsp is 2.46, 1 tsp is 4.93, 2 tsp is 9.86, 3 tsp, a tablespoon, is 14.79, 6 tsp is 29.6 and 12 tsp is 59.1 ml. If you convert tsp to ml and land far from this ladder, repeat the multiplication.
Checking by reversing
To make sure your “convert tsp to ml” calculation result is right, divide it by 4.929. If 6 tsp gave 29.6 ml, then 29.6 divided by 4.929 returns 6.0. A second check is the size of the answer: it should be nearly five times larger. If it is fifteen times, you used the tablespoon factor.
Loose-leaf tea by the spoon
A teaspoon of loose-leaf tea, about 2 to 3 grams, 4.93 ml of leaves, makes a cup of 240 ml. A pot of 4 cups, 960 ml, takes 4 teaspoons, 19.7 ml of leaves, though leaf size changes the weight. Tea shops sell by weight, and recipes by the teaspoon, so a cook with a tin of 100 grams has 40 teaspoons, or 40 cups, and when you convert tsp to ml you can see the volume of the leaves.
Children cooking
Children learn to measure with colourful spoon sets: a tablespoon, teaspoon, half and quarter. A recipe for pancakes asks for 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 9.9 ml, and a pinch of salt. Teachers explain that three teaspoons make a tablespoon, 14.8 ml, and let children test it with water in a jug. The hands-on practice makes the units concrete, and the factor of nearly five becomes memorable.
Spoon sets around the world
A British set marks a 5 ml spoon, a 10 ml dessertspoon and a 15 ml tablespoon. An Australian set has 5 ml, 20 ml and sometimes 2.5 ml and 1.25 ml. A Japanese set has 5 ml and 15 ml, and a spoon of 2.5 ml. An American set is in fractions of teaspoons and tablespoons. The 5 ml teaspoon is common to all, which is why teaspoon recipes travel better than tablespoon ones.
Vintage and antique spoons
Old measuring spoons from the early twentieth century may differ from today's by 10 percent or more. A teaspoon in a Victorian cookbook might be 3.7 ml or 5.9. Collectors check them by filling with water and weighing. A 1930s spoon marked "1 tsp" that holds 4.2 grams of water is smaller than a modern spoon by 14 percent, and a recipe made with it will taste different.
Materials and accuracy
Stainless steel spoons keep their shape for years and are accurate to about 5 percent. Plastic spoons may warp in the dishwasher. Cheap sets can be off by 10 to 20 percent, especially the smallest spoon. A good set has the volume stamped on the handle in millilitres as well as in fractions, which makes it easy to convert tsp to ml and test. Replace any spoon that is dented or bent.
Cocktail and bar measures
A bar spoon holds 5 ml, a teaspoon, and recipes call for one or two. A cocktail may use 2 bar spoons of syrup, 10 ml, in 50 ml of spirit. Home bartenders measure in teaspoons, millilitres or dashes, so a cheat sheet of 1 teaspoon is 5 ml and 6 teaspoons is 30 ml, an ounce, saves guesswork. Precision matters because flavour depends on proportion.
The price and choice of a set
A basic plastic set of measuring spoons costs a few dollars, a stainless steel set 10 to 20. A good set has deep, round bowls and flat rims for levelling, with the volume stamped in both teaspoons and millilitres. Buy two sets if you bake often, one for dry ingredients and one for liquids, so that you never have to wash a spoon in the middle of a recipe.
Cleaning the set and caring for it
Measuring spoons collect residue from sticky ingredients, which adds a little weight to the water test. Wash after each use, dry them and keep them on their ring. A spoon that has lost its stamp can be re-checked: fill with water, weigh, and write the volume in millilitres on tape. Taking care of the set keeps the spoons accurate for years.
Teaspoons in nutrition guidance
Nutrition guidance often gives amounts in teaspoons, such as 6 for added sugar, 29.6 ml of crystals, 25 grams. The same unit appears for salt, where one teaspoon, 4.93 ml, 6 grams, holds roughly the daily sodium limit. The same figure in millilitres helps compare with a spoon in your kitchen, and a conversion lets you find the volume of any quantity in the advice.
Adjustable and sliding spoons
Adjustable measuring spoons have a slider that sets the volume from 1/8 to 1 teaspoon or up to a tablespoon. They suit sticky ingredients such as honey, which can be pushed out with the slide. Each setting corresponds to a volume in millilitres, 0.62 to 4.93. Their accuracy depends on the slide being in the right position, so check against a water test.
The coffee scoop
A coffee scoop is traditionally 2 tablespoons, 29.6 ml, or 6 teaspoons, and holds about 10 grams of ground coffee. Many scoops are marked "1 tablespoon", 14.8 ml, 5 grams. The measure per cup is 1 to 2 scoops, so for 6 cups of 150 ml, 900 ml, you need about 60 grams, 6 scoops of 10 grams. If you convert tsp to ml for your scoop you know its true volume.
Baking spoons and levelling
For baking powder, salt and spices, a level spoon is essential. A heaped teaspoon can hold twice a level one. Run a straight knife along the top to level it. A teaspoon of baking powder weighs about 4.6 grams and a teaspoon of baking soda about the same, so the two spoons look alike but do different jobs, and mixing them up spoils a cake.
Stirring spoons are not measures
The spoons in a cutlery drawer vary a great deal: a teaspoon may hold 2.5 to 7 millilitres, a tablespoon 10 to 20. A recipe works only if the measure is true, so spoons for stirring and serving should not be used for measuring. The distinction is not pedantic, and it explains why the same cake can turn out differently in two kitchens.
Eighth, smidgen and pinch
An eighth of a teaspoon is 0.62 ml. Some sets include a 1/16 teaspoon, a pinch, 0.31 ml, and a 1/32, a smidgen, 0.15 ml, which are almost the smallest amounts that can be measured with a spoon. A dash is about 1/8 teaspoon. For precision at these sizes, a scale reading to 0.01 gram is better, but the spoon is handy in the kitchen.
Medicine spoons and dosing devices
Medicine spoons supplied with products are marked in millilitres and calibrated for that product. They are not replaced by cooking spoons. A spoon holding 5 ml is a teaspoon only if it is made to be. Always use the device in the box, and follow the label, especially for children's medicines. This page does not give dosing advice.
Spoons for spices and extracts
Spice jars come with a shaker top and sometimes a small spoon. Extract bottles come with droppers. A teaspoon of vanilla is 4.93 ml. A bottle of 60 ml holds 12. A teaspoon of ground cinnamon is 2.6 grams. A recipe that uses 1 teaspoon each of five spices uses 24.6 ml of dry spice in total, a little more than a tablespoon and a half.
More values for convert tsp to ml
A longer list of conversions
If the value you need is not in the first list, these further conversions may be close enough to read off directly:
- 0.1 tsp = 0.492892159375 ml
- 0.5 tsp = 2.464460796875 ml
- 3 tsp = 14.78676478125 ml
- 4 tsp = 19.715686375 ml
- 7 tsp = 34.50245115625 ml
- 15 tsp = 73.93382390625 ml
- 20 tsp = 98.578431875 ml
- 75 tsp = 369.669 ml
- 200 tsp = 985.78431875 ml
- 500 tsp = 2,464.460796875 ml
- 2,000 tsp = 9,857.8431875 ml
- 10,000 tsp = 49,289.2159375 ml
Mistakes when you convert tsp to ml
Mixing teaspoon and tablespoon
A tablespoon is three teaspoons. Confusing them changes an amount threefold.
Using cutlery spoons
Cutlery varies from 2.5 to 7 ml for a teaspoon. Use measuring spoons for recipes.
Dividing instead of multiplying
The millilitre is the smaller unit, so the number grows. If 6 tsp became 1.2, you divided.
Spoon-drawer questions
What does a teaspoon hold?
About 4.93 millilitres.
How do I convert tsp to ml quickly?
Multiply by 4.929, or by 5 less 1.4 percent.
And a millilitre in teaspoons?
About 0.2029.
How much is six teaspoons?
About 29.6 millilitres.
Does my number leave the page?
No, the work is done in your browser.
On to the next measure
Nearby converters: Convert tsp to tbsp, Convert cm³ to ml, Convert fl oz to ml, Convert ml to fl oz, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C, Convert m to yd. For the way back, open Convert ml to tsp.
The takeaway: to convert tsp to ml, multiply by 4.929 and keep the unit next to the figure. Your number stays on your own device, with no account and no upload.