Tablespoons to fluid ounces:
divide by 2

How many fluid ounces are in a tablespoon?

One US tablespoon is 0.5 US fluid ounces, so two tablespoons make exactly one fluid ounce. In metric terms a US tablespoon is about 14.79 millilitres and a US fluid ounce is about 29.57 millilitres, and the second is exactly double the first.

This is one of the tidiest kitchen conversions, because there is a whole-number ratio to remember. The figure applies to US measuring spoons and US fluid ounces.

The tbsp to fl oz formula

A second worked example goes the other way: a salad dressing recipe needs 2.5 fl oz of vinegar. Multiply by two to get 5 tablespoons.

1. 1Write the amount in tablespoons.
2. 2Divide by 2 to get fluid ounces.
3. 3For the reverse, multiply fluid ounces by 2.
4. 4Check against the rule that 16 tablespoons make a US cup, which is 8 fl oz.

Chart: tablespoons to fluid ounces

Use this table for scaling recipes up and down.

Most recipes stay in the first few rows. For larger amounts, 16 tbsp is 8 fl oz, which is one US cup.

Where you convert tablespoons to fluid ounces

Cocktail recipes, cooking oils, sauces and coffee syrups often mix tablespoons and fluid ounces. A bartender who is asked for a 1.5 fl oz measure of spirit can use 3 tablespoons if no jigger is to hand. A baker reading a 4 fl oz measure of milk knows it equals 8 tablespoons.

Nutrition labels add to the mix. A serving may be listed as 2 tbsp (1 fl oz), and the conversion above lets you check that the label is consistent. If you double the serving to 4 tbsp, the volume doubles to 2 fl oz.

A sanity-check trick is to remember the chain from the largest to the smallest unit: 1 cup is 8 fl oz, 16 tablespoons or 48 teaspoons. If your conversion contradicts any link in this chain, you made an error.

For scaling recipes, double the table rather than recalculating. If 3 tablespoons of lemon juice is 1.5 fl oz, a four-times batch uses 12 tablespoons, or 6 fl oz. Keeping all quantities in tablespoons until the end and then converting once avoids stacked rounding errors in a long ingredient list.

Common mistakes when converting tbsp to fl oz

• Assuming all tablespoons are equal. A UK tablespoon is 15 ml and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, while a US tablespoon is about 14.79 ml.
• Mixing fluid ounces with weight ounces. A fluid ounce measures volume, whereas a weight ounce measures mass, and the two differ for anything other than water.
• Multiplying when you should divide. A fluid ounce is bigger than a tablespoon, so the ounce figure is smaller.
• Using a heaped spoon. A level tablespoon is the standard, and a heap can add a lot more than the recipe intends.