Convert tsp to tbsp US teaspoons ↔ US tablespoons Free Online Secure
Type a value in US teaspoons and read it in US tablespoons 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 US tablespoons
Common values — Convert tsp to tbsp (US teaspoons ↔ US tablespoons)
| tsp | tbsp |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.333333333333 |
| 2 | 0.666666666667 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 1.66666666667 |
| 10 | 3.33333333333 |
| 20 | 6.66666666667 |
| 50 | 16.6666666667 |
| 100 | 33.3333333333 |
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.
How big is a tablespoon?
The US tablespoon on this page is 14.787 millilitres, which is three teaspoons. The metric tablespoon is a round 15 millilitres, and Australia uses 20. A tablespoon from the cutlery drawer is not a measure at all and varies a great deal, so for cooking and medicine use a proper measuring spoon.
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.
Six teaspoons or two tablespoons: counting sugar in drinks and snacks
Health guidance on added sugar is often given in teaspoons: about six a day for women, nine for men. Nutrition labels give grams, and a can of soda has nine and a third teaspoons. Turn the teaspoons into tablespoons and the picture changes: six teaspoons is two tablespoons, a small heap that fits in a dessert glass. To convert tsp to tbsp you divide by 3, since three teaspoons make one tablespoon. This page divides as you type, and the text below counts the sugar in everyday foods in both units, so the labels in grams turn into spoons you can imagine.
The page covers the rule with examples, a note on each unit, a comparison, a tour of sugary foods and the slips to avoid. All arithmetic happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Dietary guidance is general, so ask a health professional about your own needs.
How to convert tsp to tbsp: divide by 3
The rule
Three US teaspoons make exactly one US tablespoon. To convert tsp to tbsp, divide the teaspoons by 3, or multiply by 0.333. So 3 tsp is 1 tbsp, 6 tsp 2 tbsp, 9 tsp 3 tbsp and 17 tsp 5.67 tbsp. In the other direction, multiply tablespoons by 3.
Worked examples
The daily guideline of six teaspoons of added sugar, 25 grams, is 2 tablespoons. Nine teaspoons, 38 grams, are 3 tablespoons. A can of cola with 39 grams of sugar has 9.3 teaspoons, 3.1 tablespoons. Seventeen teaspoons, often quoted as the American average, make 5.7 tablespoons, 71 grams.
From grams to teaspoons
A level teaspoon of sugar weighs about 4.2 grams, so divide grams by 4.2 to get teaspoons, then by 3 for tablespoons, or divide grams by 12.5 for tablespoons straight away. A bar with 21 grams of sugar has 5 teaspoons, 1.7 tablespoons. The rule works for any sugar listed on a label.
A quick sanity check
The tablespoon is the larger unit, so the number shrinks to a third. If your “convert tsp to tbsp” calculation result is half or a quarter of the original, you used the wrong divisor.
The teaspoon
The spoon in the cup of tea
The US teaspoon is 4.93 millilitres. Stirring in a teaspoon of sugar, 4.2 grams, 16 kilocalories, is a household habit, and the teaspoon is the unit in which many people picture added sugar.
Where it appears
Sugar guidance, recipes and tea or coffee.
The tablespoon
Three teaspoons
The US tablespoon is 14.79 millilitres. A tablespoon of sugar is 12.5 grams and 49 kilocalories. It makes the amount of sugar in a drink easier to visualise, because a few spoonfuls are something you can see.
Where it appears
Recipes, sugar reduction guides and nutrition education.
Teaspoon and tablespoon compared
A tablespoon holds three teaspoons. The daily sugar guideline of 6 teaspoons is the same as 2 tablespoons, which sounds smaller and is easier to imagine as two heaped spoons. Whether the number is stated in teaspoons or in tablespoons, the weight, 25 grams, is the same, so once you convert tsp to tbsp only the unit has changed.
The conversion is exact. The only trap is the heap: a heaped teaspoon can hold two level ones, so guidelines assume level spoons.
Where the conversion appears
Guidelines
The World Health Organization suggests keeping free sugars below 10 percent of energy, and ideally below 5 percent, about 25 grams for a 2,000 kilocalorie diet. That is 6 teaspoons, 2 tablespoons. The American Heart Association gives 25 grams for women and 36 for men, 6 and 9 teaspoons, 2 and 3 tablespoons. When you convert tsp to tbsp, the daily figures become short lists of spoons.
Drinks
A 12 ounce can of cola has 39 grams of sugar, 9.3 teaspoons, 3.1 tablespoons. A 16 ounce sweetened iced tea may have 36 grams, 8.6 teaspoons. A glass of apple juice of 8 ounces has 24 grams, 5.7 teaspoons, 1.9 tablespoons. A café drink of 16 ounces might carry 40 grams, 9.5 teaspoons. One drink can use up a day's allowance.
Snacks and foods
A flavoured yoghurt of 6 ounces has about 18 grams, 4.3 teaspoons. A granola bar 12 grams, 2.9 teaspoons, a tablespoon. A breakfast cereal serving 12 grams, 3 teaspoons. A tablespoon of ketchup 4 grams, one teaspoon. Added up through a day, small items reach the guideline quickly.
Natural and added sugar
Labels now list added sugars separately from the total. A cup of milk has about 12 grams of natural sugar, 2.9 teaspoons, which does not count as added. A bowl of sweetened cereal may have 12 grams of added sugar, 3 teaspoons, a tablespoon. Guidelines apply to added sugars, so check which line on the label you are reading before converting to spoons.
In a spreadsheet
Put grams of sugar in column A and use =A2/4.2 in column B for teaspoons and =B2/3 in column C for tablespoons. For teaspoons already known, =A2/3. A column of daily totals, with a target of 6 teaspoons, shows the margin. Format with one decimal, and keep the source column so that each food can be traced to its label.
Rounding
The factor is exact, so no rounding is needed for the spoon conversion, but the grams-to-teaspoons step is approximate. A teaspoon of sugar weighs between 4 and 4.5 grams. Rounding to the nearest half teaspoon is sensible. For guidelines, whole numbers are fine, since the targets themselves are rounded values.
A mental shortcut
Divide by three: 9 teaspoons are 3 tablespoons, 6 are 2, 12 are 4. For grams of sugar, divide by 4 to get teaspoons: 40 grams is 10 teaspoons. Then divide by three again for tablespoons, 3.3. The shortcut gives an estimate within 5 percent, enough to judge a label in the shop.
Reference values
3 tsp is 1 tbsp, 6 tsp is 2, 9 tsp is 3, 12 tsp is 4, 15 tsp is 5, 17 tsp is 5.7, 24 tsp is 8 and 48 tsp is 16 tbsp. If you convert tsp to tbsp and land far from this ladder, repeat the division.
Checking by reversing
To make sure your “convert tsp to tbsp” calculation result is right, multiply it by 3. If 9 tsp gave 3 tbsp, then 3 times 3 returns 9. A second check is the size of the answer: it should be a third of the number of teaspoons.
Sugar levies and drink bands
Some countries tax soft drinks by sugar content. In the United Kingdom the levy has bands at 5 grams per 100 ml and 8 grams per 100 ml. A 330 ml can at 5 grams per 100 ml has 16.5 grams, 3.9 teaspoons, 1.3 tablespoons; at 8 grams, 26.4 grams, 6.3 teaspoons, 2.1 tablespoons. The spoon equivalents show why the higher band is a high-sugar drink, over the whole daily guideline.
Names for sugar on labels
Sugar appears on ingredients lists as sucrose, glucose, fructose, syrup, honey, molasses, concentrate and many other names. Whatever the name, the grams count towards total sugars. A product with 10 grams per serving from three sources still has 10 grams, 2.4 teaspoons, 0.8 tablespoons, and the label's sugar line, not the ingredient names, is the figure to convert.
Traffic-light labels
Front-of-pack labels in some countries colour sugar red above 22.5 grams per 100 grams and, for drinks, above 11.25 grams per 100 ml. A drink at 11.25 grams per 100 ml has 37 grams in a 330 ml can, 8.8 teaspoons, 2.9 tablespoons. Green means 5 grams or less per 100 grams, a teaspoon in 80 grams of food. Converting to spoons gives the colours a physical meaning.
Fruit and natural sugars
An apple has about 19 grams of natural sugar, 4.5 teaspoons, 1.5 tablespoons, along with fibre and water. A banana has 14 grams, 3.3 teaspoons. Natural sugars in whole fruit are treated differently from added sugars in guidelines. When you convert tsp to tbsp for fruit, the spoons describe the sugar, but the fibre makes the effect on the body different from a soft drink with the same amount.
Desserts and treats
A slice of cake has 25 to 40 grams of sugar, 6 to 9.5 teaspoons, 2 to 3.2 tablespoons. A scoop of ice cream has 14 grams, 3.3 teaspoons. A chocolate bar of 45 grams has 24, 5.7 teaspoons, 1.9 tablespoons. Treats are part of life, and counting them in spoons helps people to enjoy them within a plan.
Hidden sugar in sauces
Ketchup has 4 grams per tablespoon, so a generous 3 tablespoons, 12 grams, has 3 teaspoons, a tablespoon of sugar. A barbecue sauce 6 grams per tablespoon, a pasta sauce 6 grams per half cup, 1.4 teaspoons. Condiments seem small but add up when used by the tablespoon. Convert the grams on the label into teaspoons to make them visible.
Alcohol and mixers
A gin and tonic with 150 ml of tonic water has about 12 grams of sugar, 2.9 teaspoons. A glass of sweet wine of 100 ml has 10 grams, 2.4 teaspoons. A cocktail with syrup may reach 20 grams, 4.8 teaspoons, 1.6 tablespoons. Labels on alcohol rarely show sugar, so converting the sugar from the mixer helps.
Plant milks and flavoured milk
A sweetened oat drink has about 7 grams per 250 ml, 1.7 teaspoons, while a chocolate milk of 8 ounces has 24 grams, 5.7 teaspoons, 1.9 tablespoons, about half added. Unsweetened versions have 0 to 2 grams. Labels show total and added sugar, and converting to spoons lets a family compare options at a glance when shopping.
School and canteen menus
School meal standards limit added sugar per portion. A canteen offering a yoghurt dessert with 12 grams of sugar per pot, 2.9 teaspoons, to a class of 25 serves 300 grams of sugar in all, 71 teaspoons, 24 tablespoons, a cup and a half. Menu planners track sugar in grams, and a conversion shows what a week of desserts adds up to.
Reading a recipe in spoons
A recipe for punch for 20 may ask for 12 teaspoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons, to sweeten 2 litres of juice. The same quantity in grams, 50, is 1.2 teaspoons per 100 ml. Converting teaspoons to tablespoons makes a long recipe easier to read, because a list of numbers under 10 is less error-prone than one in the dozens.
Lunchboxes and packed snacks
A child's lunchbox with a juice box, 20 grams, a yoghurt, 12, and a cereal bar, 8, holds 40 grams of sugar, 9.5 teaspoons, 3.2 tablespoons. Replacing the juice with water cuts it to 20 grams, 4.8 teaspoons, 1.6 tablespoons. Parents who convert the labels into spoons can compare choices quickly, and see what a small swap does to the daily total.
Cutting down gradually
People cutting sugar often reduce by a quarter every fortnight: from 6 tablespoons a day, 18 teaspoons, 75 grams, to 4.5 tablespoons, 56 grams, then 3.4, 42 grams, then 2.5, 31 grams, and the guideline of 2 tablespoons within two months. Tracking in spoons gives a feel for progress that grams do not, and a spoon is something you can see in the kitchen.
Breakfast and the first spoonful
A typical breakfast of sweetened cereal, flavoured yoghurt and juice may contain 12 plus 18 plus 24, 54 grams of sugar, 13 teaspoons, 4.3 tablespoons, more than double the daily guideline. Swapping to plain yoghurt and unsweetened cereal cuts the total to about 12 grams, 3 teaspoons. The change is visible in spoons, and convert tsp to tbsp is the step that makes it so.
Tea and coffee at home
Two teaspoons of sugar in each of four cups of coffee a day make 8 teaspoons, 34 grams, 2.7 tablespoons, 128 kilocalories. Cutting to one teaspoon halves it, to 4 teaspoons, 17 grams. Most people get used to less within a few weeks. Measuring a few days with a spoon shows the real habit, because eyeballed spoonfuls are usually bigger than level ones.
Baking and reducing sugar
A cake recipe with 1 cup of sugar, 200 grams, 48 teaspoons, 16 tablespoons, can often be cut by a quarter, 12 tablespoons, without much loss. A cookie with 2 tablespoons of sugar per cookie, 25 grams, 6 teaspoons, is a treat that adds up. Converting sugar in recipes to spoons helps to see the amount per portion, which is what counts for the guideline.
Children's guidance
Guidance for children is lower: about 19 grams for ages 4 to 8, 4.5 teaspoons, 1.5 tablespoons, and under 25 grams for older children. One small juice box of 6.75 ounces may have 20 grams, 4.8 teaspoons. A single snack can reach the day's limit, so parents who learn to convert grams to spoons find labels less abstract.
Honey, syrup and other sweeteners
Honey, maple syrup and agave count as added sugar. A teaspoon of honey, 7 grams, has 6 grams of sugar, a tablespoon, 21 grams, 17. Two tablespoons of syrup on pancakes, 40 grams, 10 teaspoons of sugar, nearly the full daily guideline, 3.3 tablespoons. The conversion treats them like sugar, though the spoons weigh more.
Artificial sweeteners
Sweeteners do not provide sugar, but they are measured in spoons too. A teaspoon of a concentrated sweetener may be as sweet as 8 teaspoons of sugar, which is about 2.7 tablespoons. Packet instructions describe the equivalence, and users convert it to understand how much sweetness they add. Health advice about them varies.
Sugar in sports drinks and gels
A sports drink of 20 ounces, 591 ml, has about 34 grams of sugar, 8 teaspoons, 2.7 tablespoons. A gel of 1.2 ounces has 22 grams, 5 teaspoons. During exercise that sugar fuels the muscles, so guidelines differ from daily sedentary advice. The conversion into spoons helps put the amounts in context, but athletes follow their coach's plan.
More values for convert tsp to tbsp
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 = 0.0333333 tbsp
- 0.5 tsp = 0.166667 tbsp
- 3 tsp = 1 tbsp
- 4 tsp = 1.33333 tbsp
- 7 tsp = 2.33333 tbsp
- 15 tsp = 5 tbsp
- 20 tsp = 6.66667 tbsp
- 75 tsp = 25 tbsp
- 200 tsp = 66.6667 tbsp
- 500 tsp = 166.667 tbsp
- 2,000 tsp = 666.667 tbsp
- 10,000 tsp = 3,333.33 tbsp
Mistakes when you convert tsp to tbsp
Heaped against level spoons
A heaped teaspoon can be double a level one. Guidance assumes level spoons.
Mixing grams and spoons
A teaspoon of sugar is 4.2 grams, but a teaspoon of salt is 6. Convert from the right ingredient.
Multiplying instead of dividing
The tablespoon is the larger unit, so the number shrinks. If 9 tsp became 27, you multiplied.
Sugar-spoon questions
What is a teaspoon in tablespoons?
One third.
What is the fast way to convert tsp to tbsp?
Divide the teaspoons by three.
And a tablespoon in teaspoons?
Three.
How many tablespoons is nine teaspoons of sugar?
Three.
Does my number leave the page?
No, the sum is done in your browser.
More spoons to count
Related volume converters: Convert tsp to ml, Convert ml to tbsp, Convert tbsp to ml, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C, Convert mph to Mach, Convert MPG (UK) to km/L. To go back, open Convert tbsp to tsp.
The takeaway: to convert tsp to tbsp, divide by three and keep the unit beside the number. Your figure stays on your own device, with no account and no upload.