How Many Ounces in a Cup? The Complete Conversion Guide

Whether you're scaling a cocktail recipe, measuring broth, or converting a US recipe to metric, cups and ounces are the two most common volume units in American cooking. Here's everything you need in one place.

The Quick Answer: Cups to Ounces

1 US cup = 8 fluid ounces = 237 ml. It's that simple. Everything below is derived from this single fact.

Cups	Fluid Ounces	Tablespoons	Milliliters
1/8 cup	1 fl oz	2 tbsp	30 ml
1/4 cup	2 fl oz	4 tbsp	59 ml
1/3 cup	2⅔ fl oz	5 tbsp + 1 tsp	79 ml
1/2 cup	4 fl oz	8 tbsp	118 ml
2/3 cup	5⅓ fl oz	10 tbsp + 2 tsp	158 ml
3/4 cup	6 fl oz	12 tbsp	177 ml
1 cup	8 fl oz	16 tbsp	237 ml
1½ cups	12 fl oz	24 tbsp	355 ml
2 cups (1 pint)	16 fl oz	32 tbsp	473 ml
4 cups (1 quart)	32 fl oz	64 tbsp	946 ml

Fluid Ounces vs. Weight Ounces: The Key Difference

This is the most common source of confusion. There are two different types of ounces in US cooking:

Fluid ounces (fl oz) measure volume — how much space a liquid takes up. This is what cups measure. When a recipe says "8 oz of milk," it almost certainly means 8 fluid ounces (1 cup).

Weight ounces (oz) measure mass — how heavy something is. When a recipe says "8 oz of cream cheese," it means by weight — that's roughly 1 cup of cream cheese, but only because cream cheese is close in density to water.

The two units happen to be numerically equal for water (1 fl oz of water weighs almost exactly 1 oz). For everything else, they diverge. A fluid ounce of honey weighs about 1.5 oz because honey is 50% denser than water.

Dry vs. Liquid Measuring Cups

You may have noticed that measuring cups come in two styles: nested sets (for dry ingredients) and the single pitchers with a spout and handle (for liquids). Both measure the same volume, but each is designed for accuracy with its ingredient type.

Liquid measuring cups let you pour to the line without overfilling, and you read them at eye level. Dry measuring cups are designed to fill to the brim and level off with a straight edge. Using a dry cup for liquids (or vice versa) won't ruin your recipe, but it does make accurate measurement harder.

Ounces in Common Cooking Quantities

Common Amount	Fluid Ounces	Notes
Shot glass	1.5 fl oz	Standard US cocktail shot
Small juice glass	6 fl oz	¾ cup
Standard coffee mug	8–12 fl oz	1 to 1½ cups
Soda can	12 fl oz	1½ cups
Water bottle (standard)	16 fl oz	2 cups (1 pint)
Water bottle (large)	32 fl oz	4 cups (1 quart)
Wine bottle	25.4 fl oz	~3.2 cups

US Cups vs. Other Measuring Systems

If you're following recipes from different countries, watch out — not all "cups" are the same size.

Cup Type	Fluid Ounces	Milliliters
US cup	8 fl oz	237 ml
US legal cup (FDA)	8.12 fl oz	240 ml
Metric cup (AU/CA/NZ)	8.45 fl oz	250 ml
UK imperial cup (historical)	10 fl oz	284 ml
Japanese cup	6.76 fl oz	200 ml

For most recipes the difference between US cups (237 ml) and metric cups (250 ml) is negligible — it's only about 5% off. But if you're scaling a recipe up for a crowd, those small differences compound quickly.

Practical Tips for Measuring Liquids

Always read at eye level. Looking down at a measuring cup makes the reading appear higher than it is due to the angle. Crouch down so your eye is level with the measurement mark.

For sticky liquids like honey or molasses, spray the measuring cup with a light coating of cooking spray first. The liquid slides right out and your measurement stays accurate.

When measuring multiple liquids, measure them all in the same cup by building up the total. Pour in oil first, then add vinegar — both readings are taken from the same zero point.