1/3 Cup in Teaspoons

1/3 cup = 16 tsp

= 5 tbsp + 1 tsp  |  5 1/3 tbsp exactly  |  78.9 ml  |  2.7 fl oz

Measure it: 5 tbsp + 1 tsp

One-third of a US cup is exactly 16 teaspoons. This is one of the tidier cup fractions in teaspoons: a cup holds 48 teaspoons, and 48 divided by 3 is a clean 16, with nothing left over. That is the same amount as 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, or 78.9 ml. The quirk is that 1/3 cup lands on a whole number of teaspoons but not of tablespoons, because a cup is 16 tablespoons and 16 does not divide by 3 (it works out to the awkward 5 1/3 tablespoons). Counting out 16 teaspoons one at a time is slow, so the practical measure is 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon. If you need the tablespoon-first breakdown instead, see 1/3 cup to tablespoons.

Every Cup Fraction in Teaspoons

CupTeaspoonsTablespoons
1/8 cup6 tsp2 tbsp
1/4 cup12 tsp4 tbsp
1/3 cup16 tsp5 tbsp + 1 tsp
1/2 cup24 tsp8 tbsp
2/3 cup32 tsp10 tbsp + 2 tsp
3/4 cup36 tsp12 tbsp
1 cup48 tsp16 tbsp

A US cup is 48 teaspoons (NIST SP 811 fluid ounce, 236.588 ml). Every figure above derives from that anchor.

Common Questions

How many teaspoons are in 1/3 cup?
One-third of a US cup is exactly 16 teaspoons. Because a cup is 48 teaspoons, a third of it is 48 / 3 = 16 teaspoons, a clean whole number. That is the same amount as 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon, or 78.9 ml.
Why is 1/3 cup a whole number of teaspoons but not tablespoons?
A cup contains 48 teaspoons and 16 tablespoons. 48 divides by 3 evenly (16 teaspoons), but 16 does not (5.33 tablespoons). So 1/3 cup is exactly 16 teaspoons, yet in tablespoons it is the awkward 5 1/3, which is why the practical answer is written as 5 tbsp + 1 tsp.
How do I measure 16 teaspoons for 1/3 cup?
Counting out 16 teaspoons is slow and error-prone. It is faster to measure 5 level tablespoons and add 1 teaspoon (5 x 3 + 1 = 16), or simply fill a 1/3-cup measure if you own one. Reserve the teaspoon count for when a tablespoon measure is not to hand.
How many teaspoons are in 2/3 cup?
Two-thirds of a US cup is exactly 32 teaspoons, double the 16 in 1/3 cup. It is the same as 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, or 157.7 ml. The simplest way to reach it is to measure 1/3 cup twice.
What is 1/3 cup in teaspoons, tablespoons and ml?
One-third of a US cup is 16 teaspoons, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (5 1/3 tablespoons exactly), 78.9 ml, or 2.7 US fluid ounces. A metric 250 ml cup would make 1/3 cup about 83 ml.

Related Pages

1/3 cup to tablespoons2/3 cup to tablespoonsAll Cups to TablespoonsKitchen Charttbsp to tsp Converter

Updated 2026-06-09