“One cup” is not one size. An American recipe means 236.6 mL, a US nutrition label means 240 mL, an Australian cookbook means 250 mL, an old British recipe may mean 284 mL and a Japanese rice cooker cup is just 180 mL for rice while a Japanese cooking cup is 200 mL. This converter gives the US-cup answer first — the most common reason to search — and shows what the same number of cups means in the other systems.
How to use the cups to mL converter
- Enter the amount in US cups. Fractions go in as decimals: 1/4 = 0.25, 1/3 = 0.333, 3/4 = 0.75.
- Read the result in milliliters, with fluid ounces, tablespoons and liters below.
- The fraction table converts each cup in a standard measuring set; the last table shows your amount under every cup standard.
Cups to mL formula
The US cup is defined as half a US pint, 1/16 of a US gallon. The gallon is exactly 231 cubic inches and an inch is exactly 2.54 cm, so the cup works out to 14.4375 in³ × 16.387064 mL/in³ = 236.5882365 mL with no rounding.
Other cups are simpler:
| Cup standard | mL per cup |
|---|---|
| US customary (recipes) | 236.59 |
| US legal (nutrition facts) | 240 |
| Metric (Australia, NZ, Canada) | 250 |
| Imperial (older UK recipes) | 284.13 |
| Japanese cooking cup | 200 |
Worked example
A pancake recipe asks for 1½ cups of milk and you only have a metric jug.
1.5 × 236.5882365 = 354.9 mL. Pour to just under the 355 mL mark.
The same amount is 12 US fl oz, or 24 tablespoons.
If the recipe were Australian, 1½ metric cups would be 1.5 × 250 = 375 mL — 20 mL more.
A smaller measure: ¾ cup of oil is 0.75 × 236.59 = 177.4 mL, or 12 tablespoons.
Measuring-cup fractions
| Measure | mL (US) | Tablespoons | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 29.6 | 2 | 6 |
| 1/4 cup | 59.1 | 4 | 12 |
| 1/3 cup | 78.9 | 5⅓ | 16 |
| 1/2 cup | 118.3 | 8 | 24 |
| 2/3 cup | 157.7 | 10⅔ | 32 |
| 3/4 cup | 177.4 | 12 | 36 |
| 1 cup | 236.6 | 16 | 48 |
Why the US label cup is 240 mL
The US Food and Drug Administration’s nutrition-labeling rules (21 CFR 101.9) define a cup as 240 mL and a tablespoon as 15 mL for serving sizes, so labels round neatly in metric. That is why a “1 cup (240 mL)” serving on a milk carton is 1.4% larger than the cup in your measuring set. Both are correct in their own context.
Tips for accurate measuring
- Liquids: use a clear jug with a spout, set it on the counter and read at eye level from the bottom of the curved surface.
- Dry ingredients: cups measure volume, so packing changes the amount. A cup of flour can weigh 120–150 g depending on how it is scooped. For baking, the cooking converter converts cups of specific ingredients to grams.
- Sticky ingredients such as honey: lightly oil the cup so it empties completely.
For smaller amounts, see tablespoons to teaspoons; to read the fluid-ounce markings on bottles and cans, use mL to ounces.
Frequently asked questions
How many mL are in a cup?
A US customary cup is 236.59 mL (236.5882365 exactly). Nutrition labels in the US use a rounded legal cup of 240 mL, and Australian, New Zealand and Canadian recipes use a metric cup of 250 mL.
How many mL is 1/2 cup?
118.3 mL for a US cup (half of 236.59). With a 250 mL metric cup, half a cup is 125 mL.
How many mL is 1/3 cup?
78.9 mL in US measure. That is also 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon.
Should I use 236.6 mL or 250 mL for a recipe?
Use the cup of the recipe's country. American recipes mean 236.6 mL; Australian and New Zealand recipes mean 250 mL. The 6% difference rarely matters for soups but can for baking, where weighing in grams is the most reliable fix.