Volume Converter
Convert between metric and US volume units: milliliters and liters on one side; teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces, cups, pints, and gallons on the other. Recipes are the classic use, since American cookbooks measure in cups and spoons while most of the world measures in milliliters and grams.
- 2 cup in ml
- 473.176473 ml
US and UK (imperial) units share names but differ in size: a US gallon is 3.785 liters while an imperial gallon is 4.546 liters, and the fluid ounces differ too. This converter uses US units, the ones in American recipes and product labels.
How it's calculated
1 US cup = 236.59 ml · 1 US gallon = 3.785 l · 1 tbsp = 3 tsp = 14.79 ml
All conversions pass through liters. The US customary chain runs: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fluid ounces, with 2 tablespoons to the fluid ounce and 3 teaspoons to the tablespoon.
Worked example
A recipe calling for 2 cups of milk needs 473 ml. A 2-liter soda bottle holds 8.45 cups or 67.6 fluid ounces. A 5-gallon water jug is 18.9 liters.
Frequently asked questions
›How many milliliters are in a cup?
A US cup is 236.6 ml. Many countries use a 250 ml metric cup for recipes, and the difference (about 5%) rarely matters in cooking. This converter uses the US definition.
›Are US and UK gallons the same?
No. A US gallon is 3.785 liters; an imperial (UK) gallon is 4.546 liters, about 20% more. UK fuel economy figures in miles per gallon use the larger gallon, which flatters the numbers compared to US mpg.
›Can I convert cups of flour to grams here?
Not directly. Cups measure volume and grams measure weight, so the conversion depends on the ingredient's density: a cup of flour is about 120 g while a cup of sugar is about 200 g. This tool converts volume to volume only.
›How many tablespoons are in a cup?
16 tablespoons, or 48 teaspoons. Half a cup is 8 tablespoons; a quarter cup is 4. These come from the chain of US customary definitions rather than round metric numbers.
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