Volume converter
Convert litres, millilitres, gallons, pints, cups and fluid ounces — with US and Imperial measures kept apart instead of quietly averaged.
Common volume conversions
Not sure which unit you need?
Read the volume unit guide — what each one is, where it came from, and which of them are quietly different from each other.
Every volume unit
| Unit | Symbol | In litres |
|---|---|---|
| Millilitres | mL | 0.001 |
| Litres | L | 1 |
| Cubic metres | m³ | 1,000 |
| US teaspoons | tsp | 0.004928921594 |
| US tablespoons | tbsp | 0.01478676 |
| US fluid ounces | US fl oz | 0.02957353 |
| US cups | US cup | 0.23658824 |
| US pints | US pt | 0.47317647 |
| US quarts | US qt | 0.94635295 |
| US gallons | US gal | 3.785412 |
| Imperial fluid ounces | imp fl oz | 0.02841306 |
| Imperial pints | imp pt | 0.56826125 |
| Imperial gallons | imp gal | 4.54609 |
| Cubic feet | ft³ | 28.316847 |
| Cubic inches | in³ | 0.01638706 |
| Oil barrels | bbl | 158.987295 |
Questions
Is a gallon the same in the US and the UK?
No. A US gallon is 3.785411784 litres; an Imperial gallon is 4.54609 litres. The Imperial one is about 20% larger, which is why US and UK fuel economy figures for the same car look different.
Which pint does a recipe mean?
Follow the recipe's origin. A US pint is 16 US fluid ounces, roughly 473 mL. An Imperial pint is 20 Imperial fluid ounces, roughly 568 mL. A British pint of milk is noticeably more than an American one.
Can I convert litres to kilograms here?
Not directly — that depends on what you are measuring. Volume becomes mass only once you know the density. Water is the convenient case: one litre is almost exactly one kilogram. Oil, flour and alcohol are all lighter.
Why is a US cup not 250 mL?
The US legal cup is 240 mL and the customary cup used in recipes is about 236.6 mL. The round 250 mL cup is the Australian and metric standard. In baking the gap is enough to notice.