tablespoons

A tablespoon is a unit of volume used in cooking and serving. It is commonly abbreviated as tbsp or Tbsp, and sometimes as T (tablespoon) in recipes. The term represents a standard spoonful used for measuring ingredients, not a specific utensil.

In the United States, one tablespoon equals three teaspoons, and is defined as 1/16 of a US cup. This amounts to about 14.7868 milliliters, commonly rounded to 14.8 or 15 mL for practical use. In everyday cooking, a tablespoon is roughly half a US fluid ounce.

Many other countries follow the metric system, in which a tablespoon is defined as exactly 15 milliliters. Some regional sources may still use slightly different values, so recipe context can matter, especially when converting between systems. When precision is important, it is best to follow the definition stated by the recipe or to use a calibrated measuring spoon.

Common conversions related to tablespoons include: 2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce in the US, and 16 tablespoons = 1 US cup. Because 1 cup is typically about 240 milliliters, 16 tablespoons ≈ 240 mL in practice. This makes the tablespoon a convenient unit for both liquids and dry ingredients in many kitchens.

Tablespoons are a standard component of measuring spoons and are widely used in cooking, baking, sauces, and dressings. They bridge everyday scooping and precise recipe measurements, contributing to consistency in results across styles of cuisine.