How to Convert Cups to Teaspoons: Conversion Tables & Formulas

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A handy reference for converting US and UK measurements

Co-authored by Marrow Private Chefs and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: August 8, 2024 Fact Checked

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US Conversion Table

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Imperial Conversion Table (UK)

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Conversion Formulas

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US vs. Imperial Units

Approximately 48 US teaspoons fit into 1 US cup, and 48 Imperial teaspoons fit into 1 Imperial cup. If you live in the USA or cook and bake with American recipes, you’ll need to convert between US measurements. If you live in the United Kingdom or Australia (or are using a British- or Australian-based recipe), however, you’ll need to use Imperial teaspoons and cups. We’ve provided some handy conversion tables and formulas to help you out so you can get back to your recipe as soon as possible!

Convert Cups to Tsp

Use this conversion calculator to convert cups to tsp.

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Formula

Tsp to Cup Cheat Sheet

1 US cup = 48 US tsp (or 39.96 Imperial tsp)
1 Imperial cup = 48 Imperial tsp (or 57.64 US tsp)
To convert US cups to US tsp, multiply the number of US cups by 48.
To convert Imperial cups to Imperial tsp, multiply the number of Imperial cups by 48.

Section 1 of 4:

US Cups to Tsp Conversion Table

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Use this table for American recipes. The USA uses the imperial system for almost all measurements except those involving volume (liquids). Reference the following chart for any baking or cooking recipes that are created by US-based chefs.^{[1]
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- If you live in America, your measuring tools are likely set to US standards. If you live in the UK, however, your measuring tools are probably Imperial. Imperial measuring tools are a little bit bigger than US tools—the difference isn’t very noticeable in small amounts, but can make a big difference with larger measurements (like quarts or gallons).^{[2]
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US Measurements
Cups (US)	Tsp (US)
⅛ cup	6 tsp
¼ cup	12 tsp
⅓ cup	16 tsp
½ cup	24 tsp
⅔ cup	32 tsp
¾ cup	36 tsp
1 cup	48 tsp
1¼ cups	60 tsp
1½ cups	72 tsp
1¾ cups	84 tsp
2 cups	96 tsp

Section 2 of 4:

Imperial Cups to Tsp Conversion Table

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Use this table for British or Australian recipes. If the recipe’s author hails from Australia, the United Kingdom, or any other country that historically belonged to the British Empire (Canada, India, New Zealand, the Bahamas, etc.), cross-check the reference table below for your conversions.^{[3]
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- Keep in mind that Imperial teaspoons are larger than US teaspoons. One Imperial teaspoon, for instance, holds 5 mL (0.17 fl oz) of fluid, while 1 US tsp only holds 4.93 mL (0.166 fl oz).^{[4]
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Imperial Measurements
Cups (Imperial)	Tsp (Imperial)
⅛ cup	6 tsp
¼ cup	12 tsp
⅓ cup	16 tsp
½ cup	24 tsp
⅔ cup	32 tsp
¾ cup	36 tsp
1 cup	48 tsp
1¼ cups	60 tsp
1½ cups	72 tsp
1¾ cups	84 tsp
2 cups	96 tsp

Section 3 of 4:

How to Convert Cups to Teaspoons

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1
Multiply 1 US cup by 48 to get the measurement in US teaspoons. Let’s say you need 1½ cups of flour for a recipe, but you only have a US teaspoon on hand. You’d multiply 1.5 by 48, which would give you 72 teaspoons.
- To convert from US tsp to US cups: Divide US teaspoons by 48.
2
Multiply 1 Imperial cup by 48 to get the measurement in Imperial teaspoons. Imagine you need ½ cup of sugar for a recipe that uses Imperial measurements. You’d multiply ½ by 48 to get 24—the total number of Imperial teaspoons you’d need.
- To convert from Imperial tsp to Imperial cups: Divide Imperial teaspoons by 48.

Section 4 of 4:

History of US & Imperial Measurements

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The US measurement system was based on the British system, but then the British system changed. In 1824, Britain established a new measuring system known as the British Imperial System. While some US and British measurements stayed similar, their volume (liquid-based) measurements were a bit different.^{[5]
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Research source} By the British system, 1 tsp was exactly 5 mL, while a US tsp was only 4.93 mL.^{[6]
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- To convert Imperial tsp to US tsp: Multiply Imperial tsp by 1.2