How Many Ounces Are in a Cup?
8
US fluid ounces
8.8
UK / imperial
The US and imperial systems give different answers to this question. Go by where the recipe is from: American recipes mean 8, British and older Commonwealth recipes mean 8.8.
There are two different questions hiding in this one. A US cup holds 8 fluid ounces — that is fixed, because the cup is *defined* as 8 fl oz. But a cup of flour weighs about 4.4 ounces and a cup of honey weighs about 12. Fluid ounces measure space; ounces measure weight. If your recipe says "8 oz cream cheese", it means weight, and a measuring cup will not give you it.
1 cup in fluid ounces, by region
| United States | 8 fluid ounces |
| UK / imperial (250 ml cup) | 8.8 fluid ounces |
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Frequently asked questions
How many ounces are in a cup?
There are 8 fluid ounces in a US cup, and 8.8 in the UK/imperial equivalent. American recipes mean the US figure.
Is 8 oz the same as 1 cup?
For liquids measured in fluid ounces, yes — 1 US cup is 8 fl oz exactly. For anything measured by weight, no. 8 oz of flour is nearly two cups; 8 oz of chocolate chips is about 1⅓ cups. Check whether the recipe means fl oz or oz.
How do I know if a recipe means fluid ounces or weight?
Liquids in American recipes are almost always fluid ounces. Solids — cheese, chocolate, meat, pasta — are almost always weight. If the ingredient comes in a package sold by weight, the recipe means weight.
How many ounces in a cup in the UK or Australia?
A metric cup is 250 ml, which is about 8.8 imperial fluid ounces. The imperial fluid ounce is also slightly smaller than the US one (28.4 ml against 29.6 ml), so the two systems disagree twice over.
How many ounces in half a cup?
Half a US cup is 4 fluid ounces. A quarter cup is 2 fl oz, and a third of a cup is about 2.7 fl oz.