Volume Converter
Convert between teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, quarts, gallons, fluid ounces, milliliters, and liters. Includes US vs. UK gallon note and cooking vs. liquid volume context.
Formulas, assumptions, and rounding are documented in our calculator methodology.
Enter a value in any field — all other fields update instantly.
Uses US customary units. 1 US cup = 236.588 ml · 1 US gallon = 3,785.41 ml
Volume Unit Quick Reference
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. 2 tablespoons = 1 fl oz. 4 tablespoons = ¼ cup. 8 tablespoons = ½ cup. 16 tablespoons = 1 cup. 8 fl oz = 1 cup. 2 cups = 1 pint. 2 pints = 1 quart. 4 quarts = 1 gallon. 1 US gallon = 3.785 L. 1 liter = 1,000 ml ≈ 4.23 cups. 1 cup ≈ 237 ml. 1 tablespoon ≈ 14.79 ml. 1 teaspoon ≈ 4.93 ml.
US vs. UK vs. Metric Volume: Key Differences
US gallon (3.785 L) ≠ UK imperial gallon (4.546 L). US fl oz (29.57 ml) ≠ UK fl oz (28.41 ml). US cup (237 ml) ≠ UK imperial cup (284 ml). Metric cup (250 ml) is used in Australia, Canada, and South Africa. Most modern international recipes have moved to metric (ml and grams) to avoid this ambiguity. When in doubt, look for other metric quantities in the recipe to determine which system applies.
Cooking vs. Liquid Volume Measurements
Liquid measuring cups have a pour spout and are meant to be filled to the line — accurate for liquids like water, milk, and oil. Dry measuring cups are meant to be overfilled then leveled off — used for flour, sugar, and rice. The volume is the same (1 cup = 237 ml either way), but the technique differs. For baking precision, weighing dry ingredients in grams is more accurate than measuring by volume, since 1 cup of flour can vary from 120 to 160 grams depending on how it was measured.
Popular Volume Conversions
1 cup = 236.6 ml | 2 cups = 473 ml | 4 cups = 946 ml (close to 1 L). 1 US gallon = 3.785 L | 5 gallons = 18.93 L. 1 liter = 4.23 cups = 2.11 pints. 1 tablespoon = 14.79 ml | 1 teaspoon = 4.93 ml. 500 ml = 2.11 cups | 750 ml (wine bottle) = 3.17 cups.
Frequently Asked Questions
- One US cup equals 236.588 milliliters (usually rounded to 237 ml). An Australian or Canadian metric cup is 250 ml. An older UK imperial cup is 284 ml (rarely used today). If a recipe's origin is unclear, assume US cup (237 ml) unless other metric quantities suggest otherwise.
- There are 16 US cups in one US gallon (3.785 liters). Breakdown: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fluid ounces = 3,785 ml.
- There are 16 tablespoons in one US cup. 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 48 tsp = 8 fl oz = 237 ml. Half a cup = 8 tbsp. Quarter cup = 4 tbsp.
- A US gallon is 3.785 liters. A UK (imperial) gallon is 4.546 liters — about 20% larger. This matters for fuel economy: 30 mpg in the UK is not the same as 30 mpg in the US. For cooking, most modern UK recipes use metric (ml, liters) rather than gallons.
- Fluid ounces (fl oz) measure volume: 1 US fl oz = 29.574 ml. Dry ounces measure weight: 1 oz = 28.35 grams. For water, they are nearly equivalent (1 fl oz of water ≈ 29.57 g ≈ 1.04 oz by weight). For other substances, the values differ significantly — 1 fl oz of honey weighs much more than 1 fl oz of olive oil.