tablespoon

Everyday

1. A tablespoon is a large spoon used for serving food or for measuring in cooking. tree →
2. A tablespoon (tablespoonful) is the amount it holds, used as a measure in recipes. tree →

In the lessons

Maths and cooking: in the UK, Ireland, the USA and NZ a tablespoon is about 15 ml; in Australia it is 20 ml. 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons (UK/US). Recipes write «tbsp» (tablespoon) and «tsp» (teaspoon) — mixing them up can ruin a cake. Measures are usually level, not heaped, unless the recipe says so. Health: medicine should be measured with the special spoon or syringe it comes with, not a kitchen spoon.

Examples

• Add two tablespoons of sugar. tree →
• One tablespoon is the same as three teaspoons. tree →
• Mum served the peas with a tablespoon. tree →
• The recipe says 1 tbsp of oil. tree →
• Use a level tablespoon of flour, not a heaped one. tree →
• How many millilitres are in 4 tablespoons? (60 ml in the UK) tree →
• Don't confuse tbsp with tsp! tree →

Note

Countable, one word. Short forms: tbsp, Tbsp, T; teaspoon is tsp or t. Maths: 1 tbsp ≈ 15 ml (20 ml in Australia), so 2 tbsp ≈ 30 ml. Plural: tablespoons (or tablespoonfuls).