How Many Teaspoons in a Tablespoon?
There are exactly 3 teaspoons in one US tablespoon.
How to Convert Tablespoons to Teaspoons
To convert tablespoons to teaspoons, multiply by 3.
For example: 5 tablespoons × 3 = 15 teaspoons.
Why This Number Matters
Halving a recipe turns tablespoons into awkward amounts, and this is the number that resolves them. It also settles the common mix-up between the abbreviations tsp and tbsp.
Half a tablespoon is 1.5 teaspoons, which is how to measure it when only the small spoons are clean.
What People Get Wrong
An Australian tablespoon holds 4 teaspoons, not 3. Recipes from Australia and New Zealand are written around that, so following them with American spoons leaves tablespoon amounts short.
Tablespoons to Teaspoons Conversion Table
| Tablespoons (tbsp) | Teaspoons (tsp) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 18 |
| 7 | 21 |
| 8 | 24 |
| 9 | 27 |
| 10 | 30 |
| 11 | 33 |
| 12 | 36 |
| 13 | 39 |
| 14 | 42 |
| 15 | 45 |
| 16 | 48 |
| 17 | 51 |
| 18 | 54 |
| 19 | 57 |
| 20 | 60 |
| 25 | 75 |
| 30 | 90 |
| 40 | 120 |
| 50 | 150 |
| 75 | 225 |
| 100 | 300 |
| 250 | 750 |
| 500 | 1,500 |
| 1,000 | 3,000 |
About These Units
The tablespoon
A US tablespoon is 3 teaspoons, or about 14.79 milliliters. Australian recipes are the trap here: an Australian tablespoon holds 4 teaspoons, or 20 milliliters.
The teaspoon
A US teaspoon is one third of a tablespoon, or about 4.93 milliliters. Metric recipes often round the teaspoon to a flat 5 milliliters, which is close enough for cooking but not for medicine.
Definitions follow NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C. See how we calculate for the exact values and rounding rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between tsp and tbsp?
Lowercase tsp is a teaspoon and tbsp is a tablespoon, which is three times larger. Some older recipes use a lowercase t for teaspoon and a capital T for tablespoon.
How many teaspoons in 2 tablespoons?
2 tablespoons is 6 teaspoons, which is also exactly one fluid ounce.
How many milliliters in a teaspoon?
One US teaspoon is 4.92892 milliliters, which metric recipes round to 5 mL.
How many tablespoons in a cup?
Exactly 16 tablespoons.