How Many Tablespoons Are in ¼ Cup?
4
US tablespoons
4.17
UK / imperial
The US and imperial systems give different answers to this question. Go by where the recipe is from: American recipes mean 4, British and older Commonwealth recipes mean 4.17.
Four tablespoons make a quarter of a US cup. It is the most useful of the fraction conversions, because a quarter cup is small enough that people reach for spoons rather than dirty another measuring cup — and because 4 is exact, with no awkward remainder.
¼ cup in tablespoons, by region
| United States | 4 tablespoons |
| UK / imperial (250 ml cup) | 4.17 tablespoons |
| Australia (20 ml tablespoon) | 3.13 tablespoons |
Convert any amount
Quick converter
Convert cups, grams, millilitres and oven temperatures — instantly, right here.
= 1 cups
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons are in a quarter cup?
There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ US cup, and 4.17 in the UK/imperial equivalent. American recipes mean the US figure.
Is 4 tablespoons exactly a quarter cup?
In US measures, yes, exactly. A US cup is 16 tablespoons, so a quarter is 4. With a 250 ml metric cup it is closer to 4.2 tablespoons, and with a 20 ml Australian tablespoon just over 3.
How many teaspoons in a quarter cup?
Twelve US teaspoons — 4 tablespoons at 3 teaspoons each.