Are you wondering how many tablespoons are in half a cup? Maybe you’re used to the metric system and need accurate measurements when cooking or baking. There are eight tablespoons in half of a cup. Read on to learn more helpful tips and tricks. Oh! And a helpful printable and downloadable tablespoon-to-cup conversion chart.

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Close up of black measuring cup with a black tablespoon inside it.

What Is A Tablespoon?

A tablespoon was once the term used to describe a large serving spoon or the largest spoon for eating a dish, such as soup. It is also used as a way to measure volume in cooking. When it comes to tablespoon measurements and your favorite recipes, it is important to know the number of tablespoons a recipe calls for. It is also important to know that not all tablespoons are the same.

Here are the different sizes of tablespoons. The US tablespoon (also known as the Queen Anne tablespoon) is 0.50 fluid ounces or 14.8 milliliters. Whereas the United Kingdom and Canada use a slightly different tablespoon, the metric tablespoon. It is equal to 0.51 US fluid ounces or 15 ml. The Australian tablespoon is even larger at 0.68 US fl oz or 20 ml. 

  • Queen Anne Tablespoon (US) = 0.50 fluid ounces or 14.8 milliliters
  • Metric Tablespoons (UK & Canada) = 0.51 US fluid ounces or 15 ml
  • Imperial Tablespoon (Rarely Used) = 0.60 US fluid ounces or 17.75 milliliters
  • Australian Tablespoon (Australia) = 0.68 US fl oz or 20 ml

Common Tablespoon Abbreviations 

When looking at a recipe, you may see a tablespoon abbreviated in several ways. Some recipes have it as tbsp. Others will use tbsp., Tbsp., Tb., or simply a capitalized T.

Pothos leaves layed on a black tile surface with a measuring cup and tablespoon inside.

What Is A Cup?

A cup is a way to measure volume for cooking measurements and baking purposes. In the United States, it is equal to one-half of a pint or 236.6 ml. The idea of a cup is to make serving sizes though these vary from actual drinking cups. For the metric system, a cup is equal to 250ml or 2.37dL. 

Rae’s Favorite Measuring Cups & Spoons

Having good-quality measuring cups and spoons on hand is helpful. Here are my top picks! All are plastic-free, with the exception of the adjustable measuring cup. It is so handy!

Measuring Spoons & Cups For Dry Ingredients

Measuring Cups For Wet Ingredients

US Customary System (USCS)

For the US customary system or USCS, measuring volume is done with the cubic inch, cubic foot, and cubic yard. When it comes to measuring the volume of liquids and the volume of dry materials, there are other units to measure them. 

One US fluid ounce is 1/16 of a US pint or 28ml. Servings of beverages are typically measured in fluid ounces in the United States, though something like milk is sold in pints, quarts, half gallons, and gallons. Then there’s the dry volume which is done in cubic inches. 

Imperial Cup Vs. Metric Cup

Since the United States uses the British imperial system, a US cup is equal to roughly 237 ml, while a metric cup is 250 ml. Fun fact: different countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand all previously used the imperial system for standard measurements where the cup was 284 ml, equalling 6/5 US cups. 

Common Cup Abbreviations 

The cup is simply abbreviated as C. In recipes, you will see it either listed as a cup or C in the ingredients list. 

Black tiles with silver grout with a stack of black measuring cups and spoons.

How Many Tablespoons In Half A Cup

The trouble begins for many cooks when they start to wonder what the precise measurements are as they try to adapt a recipe. You may need to make more for guests that are coming or cut the recipe down to a smaller serving size. That means you need to know how many tablespoons are in half of a cup as well as other divisions of the cup.

In cooking, a little of this or that may help you make a recipe your own. But it is critical to get your measurements right when it comes to baking. 

How many tablespoons are in ¼ cup?

One fun thing about the US customary system is that when you’re talking about a quarter of a cup, that splits the cup into 4 parts. It’s easy to remember then that in ¼ cup, there are 4 tablespoons. 

How many teaspoons are in half a cup?

Then there’s the teaspoon, which is smaller than the tablespoon. To equal one tablespoon by US measurements, you need 3 teaspoons. Hence, 12 is the magic number of teaspoons in half a cup. 

How many tablespoons are in half of a cup UK?

If you’re following a recipe from someone in the United Kingdom, you will be using UK tablespoons and UK cups. If you need to break things down into tablespoons for a UK half cup, it equals 8 UK tablespoons or in US tablespoon and teaspoon measuringments it would be about 8 Tablespoon + 1 3/4 teaspoons.

How many tablespoons are in half of a cup in Australia?

Australia’s half of a cup also breaks down into 6.25 Australian tablespoons. As a fraction that would be 6 Australian tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.

How many tablespoons are in ½ cup of flour?

If you look at my basic tablespoon conversions below, you’ll find that there are 8 tablespoons in ½ a cup of flour.

For dry ingredients, though, one of the handiest tools to have on hand is your kitchen scale. It is essential in baking to ensure you get the right weight. Measuring by weight is far easier than volume and eliminates the wide margins of error that often come with measuring volume. 

Black tile surface with black measuring cups and measuring spoons.

Basic Tablespoon Conversions

I know it may seem confusing, especially if you’re not the best at math. And that’s OK! Because not everyone finds this easy. Hopefully, this chart I’ve created gives you a nice quick reference to rely on when you’re just not sure how much to measure out of your wet or dry ingredients.

USA TbspUSA C.UK/CA TbspUK/CA C.Australia TbspAustralian C.
1T1/161T1/16~3 1/8t1/16
2T1/82T1/81T + 2 1/4t1/8
4T1/44 Tbsp1/43T + 1/2t1/4
5T + 1t1/35T + 1t1/34T + 2/3t1/3
8T1/28T1/26T + 1t1/2
10T + 2t2/310T + 2t2/38T + 1/3t2/3
12T3/412T3/49.3753/4
16T116T112T + 2t1
32T232T225T2

How Many Teaspoons In A Tablespoon

I mentioned this a little further up in an attempt to help with the conversions. With teaspoons, you will need 3 of them to equal 1 tablespoon. So, if you’ve somehow misplaced your tablespoon measuring spoon, you can measure out 3 teaspoons to get the same result. 

Black tablespoons and measuring cups laid out on a black tile surface.

What is the difference between a dry measuring cup and a wet measuring cup?

If you’re just starting out with cooking and baking, make sure your kitchen is stocked with both dry measuring cups and liquid measuring cups. Yes, there is a difference! Dry measuring cups are specifically made for things like flour, sugar, seeds, nuts, and those sorts of things. Liquid measuring cups are for things like water, olive oil, and plant-based milk. 

Liquid Measuring Cups

A liquid measuring cup is usually made from glass or plastic and will feature a handle to make it handy for pouring a liquid into your recipe. These feature measurement lines on the side so you can see how much you’ve poured. 

Dry Measuring Cups

Dry measuring cups are designed to hold an exact amount of your dry ingredients. They need to be leveled off to give it a flat edge, ensuring your measurements are on point. 

You could use these types of cups interchangeably, but your measurements may not be as exact. It may affect the outcome of your recipe. But there’s also a proper way to use them too.

For dry ingredients like flour, it is better to spoon your flour into your measuring cup rather than scooping the cup into your container of flour. Scooping into that container will compress the ingredient and wind up giving you too much. So you’ll sit there confused because your recipe didn’t turn out right. Now you know! Alternatively, you can also keep from tearing your hair out by using a kitchen scale for weight (grams) rather than volume. 

Speaking of baking, have you tried vegan baking yet? If you’re ready to dip your toes, I recommend Easy Vegan Blueberry Muffins, Raspberry Scones, or these Peanut Butter Cookies.

Black measuring spoons and measuring cups on black tile with silver grout.

Measuring Liquids By Volume

Remember, liquids are measured a little differently. This is why you should have a set of measuring cups for liquid and a set for dry ingredients. Using the wrong type of cup to measure can mean that you add too much or too little of the ingredient. This can leave you with inaccurate results for your recipe. Look below, and you’ll find a handy free download that you can put up in your kitchen so you’ll always know how to convert your measurements when you need to!

How many tablespoons in ½ cup of liquid?

There are 8 tablespoons in ½ cup of liquid. However, measuring by ounce can make it easier for you. That means there are 4 fluid ounces in a half cup of liquid. Again, using a measuring cup designed for liquids can help you arrive at the right measurement if you are trying to arrive at a ½ cup.

Tablespoon to Fluid Ounces Conversion Chart

US TablespoonsUS CupsFluid Ounces
1T1/16 C.5 fl oz
2T1/8 C1 fl oz
4T1/4 C2 fl oz
5T + 1t1/3 C2.66667 fl oz
8T1/2 C4 fl oz
10T + 2t2/3 C5.33333 fl oz
12T3/4 C6 fl oz
16T1 C8 fl oz
32T2 C (1 pint)16 fl oz
64T4 C (1 quart)32 fl oz
256T16 C (1 gallon)128 fl oz

Free Download And Printable Conversion Chart

Free conversion chart for tablespoons to cups.
Black measuring cups and spoons on black tile.

FAQ

Are 8 tablespoons half of a cup?

Yes, 8 tablespoons are equal to half of a cup. Double that to 16 tablespoons to get a full cup. 

Does 8 tablespoons equal ¼ of a cup?

No, a quarter of a cup is equal to 4 tablespoons which are 2 fluid ounces.

How many tablespoons are in ½ cup of butter?

Whether you’re using regular butter or a vegan type of butter, a whole stick of butter equals a half cup. This also equals 8 tablespoons. 

Most sticks of butter actually have the measurements right on the side of the wrapper.

How do you measure half of a cup?

To measure half of a cup, you will grab your measuring cups and look for the ½ cup size. For half of a cup of dry ingredients, you will want to use a flat edge or the back of a knife to get the right measurements.

For wet measurements, you should use a measuring cup that has all the right markers on the side, fill it, and then get on eye level with the lines to ensure you’ve got it. 

But what do you do if you can’t find your half cup for dry measurements? You can take your ¼ cup and measure out 2 of those to equal a half cup. 

How many tablespoons does it take to fill a ¼ cup?

It takes 4 tablespoons to fill a ¼ of a cup. This is the same as 2 fluid ounces. Again, when using a dry measuring cup, it comes out to more because dry ingredients settle down in the cup. 

Final Words

Measurements can get tricky sometimes. I know of many people who have become frustrated in their kitchen by trying to get it right. It’s happened to me before, too, where I’ve measured out what I thought was right, only to wind up with wonky results from my recipe.

Once I got a handle on converting measurements, it never happened again (so far). Now I’m so happy that I can share my reference chart with you to help simplify life in your kitchen so you can create recipes you and your family will love!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you. Please read our full disclosure for more information. Thank you for supporting Raepublic. 

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