Tablespoons/teaspoons converter
Convert tablespoons to teaspoons, or teaspoons to tablespoons — handy when you only have one size of measuring spoon, or when scaling small quantities like spices and raising agents.
Result
Amount
Result
Amount
How to use this tool
- Choose tbsp → tsp or tsp → tbsp.
- Enter the amount.
- Read the converted amount.
Assumptions
- Uses the 3:1 ratio shared by UK, US and metric measuring spoons.
- Australian tablespoons are 20 ml — 4 teaspoons — so Australian recipes need 4:1 instead.
Sources & reference data
Technical details: what the fields mean
- Amount
tablespoons - Amount in tablespoons (tbsp). Half and quarter spoons go in as 0.5 and 0.25.
Methodology
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons in UK, US and metric measuring sets (US: ≈14.8 ml and ≈4.9 ml; metric: 15 ml and 5 ml).
Worked example
2 tablespoons
Inputs: Amount: 2 tbsp
Result: 6.0 teaspoons
Halving a recipe that uses ½ tablespoon of baking powder
Inputs: Amount: 0.5 tbsp
Result: 1.5 teaspoons — so a halved recipe needs ¾ teaspoon.
tsp → tbsp: 4 teaspoons of spice
Inputs: Amount: 4 tsp
Result: 1.33 tablespoons — 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon.
tsp → tbsp: 9 teaspoons
Inputs: Amount: 9 tsp
Result: 3.00 tablespoons — quicker to measure as 3 tablespoons.
Practical guidance
- This ratio holds for any ingredient, since both units are volume measures — unlike cups-to-grams conversions, which vary by ingredient.
- Measuring spoons are levelled measures; cutlery spoons vary widely and aren't a reliable substitute for baking.
Common mistakes
- Using a 3:1 ratio for an Australian recipe, where a tablespoon is 20 ml and equals 4 teaspoons.
- Using heaped spoons when the recipe means level ones — a heaped spoon can hold roughly twice as much.
FAQs
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
3 teaspoons make one UK, US or metric tablespoon. An Australian tablespoon is 4 teaspoons.
How many tablespoons is 4 teaspoons?
1⅓ tablespoons — easiest measured as 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon.
How many ml is a tablespoon?
15 ml for a metric/UK tablespoon, about 14.8 ml for a US tablespoon, and 20 ml in Australia. A teaspoon is 5 ml (about 4.9 ml in the US).
Last reviewed: 2026-09-25
A volume-ratio conversion using the 3:1 standard — Australian recipes use 4:1.
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