3 tsp to milliliters.
3 US teaspoons = 14.79 mL. On US food labels, 1 tsp means exactly 5 mL, so 3 tsp is 15 mL there.
What 3 tsp means
- At the 5 mL food-label size, 3 tsp is 15 mL: one tablespoon (1 tbsp, 3 tsp).
- 3 tsp is 1.00 US tablespoons and 0.500 US fluid ounces.
- Mixing up tsp and tbsp at this size gives 3 times the dose, or one third of it.
- A US customary teaspoon is exactly 4.92892159375 mL. US food labels round it to 5 mL, a difference of 1.4 %.
Measuring a 15 mL dose
- Dose liquid medicine in mL only. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends doses to the nearest 0.1, 0.5 or 1 mL, measured with an oral syringe.
- Draw the syringe to the 15 mL line. Use the device that comes with the medicine, or one from a pharmacy.
- In a study of parents of young children, those using teaspoon or tablespoon units had about twice the odds of a dosing error as those using mL only.
- The FDA and US pharmacy standards bodies recommend mL as the only unit on prescription labels for oral liquids.
How to convert
- Multiply by 4.92892159375 (the exact mL in one US teaspoon): 3 × 4.9289 = 14.79 mL.
- For the food-label teaspoon, multiply by 5: 3 × 5 = 15 mL.
To convert the other way, use the milliliters to US teaspoons converter.
Nearby values
| US tsp | mL (US 4.93 mL tsp) | mL (5 mL label tsp) |
|---|---|---|
| ½ tsp | 2.46 | 2.50 |
| 1 tsp | 4.93 | 5.00 |
| 1½ tsp | 7.39 | 7.50 |
| 2 tsp | 9.86 | 10.00 |
| 2½ tsp | 12.32 | 12.50 |
| 3 tsp | 14.79 | 15.00 |
| 3½ tsp | 17.25 | 17.50 |
| 4 tsp | 19.72 | 20.00 |
| 4½ tsp | 22.18 | 22.50 |
| 5 tsp | 24.64 | 25.00 |
| 5½ tsp | 27.11 | 27.50 |
Questions people ask
Is 3 tsp a teaspoon or a tablespoon?
At the 5 mL label size, 15 mL is one tablespoon (1 tbsp, 3 tsp). One tablespoon is 15 mL, or 3 teaspoons.
Can I measure a 3 tsp dose of medicine with a kitchen spoon?
For medicine, use the cup, syringe or dropper that comes with it. The FDA says a kitchen spoon could hold the wrong amount. Use an oral syringe or a dosing cup marked in mL, filled to the 15 mL line.
Sources: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (US gallon, quart, pint, cup, fluid ounce, tablespoon and teaspoon); 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii) (FDA nutrition labeling: 1 tsp = 5 mL, 1 tbsp = 15 mL); FDA Consumer Update: Ten Tips to Prevent an Accidental Overdose; FDA-hosted guidance on mL-only dosing for oral liquid medicines; American Academy of Pediatrics, Metric Units and the Preferred Dosing of Orally Administered Liquid Medications, Pediatrics 2015;135(4):784–787; Yin HS et al., Unit of measurement used and parent medication dosing errors, Pediatrics 2014;134(2):e354–e361.
Sources & verification
Unit definitions used by this converter:
- teaspoon (US): 1 tsp (US) = 0.00492892159375 L, exact (tsp = 1/3 tbsp) — NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C
- milliliter: 1 mL = 0.001 L, exact — BIPM SI Brochure, 9th ed.