QUICK ANSWER
1 US cup = 8 fluid ounces (about 237 ml). That is for liquids such as water, milk and broth. Dry ingredients are weighed, so the ounces depend on what is in the cup: a cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 4.2 oz, a cup of granulated sugar about 7.0 oz and a cup of butter 8 oz.
Convert cups and fluid ounces.
Fluid ounces in a cup: chart.
| Cups | US fluid ounces | Millilitres | Tablespoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 2 fl oz | 59 ml | 4 tbsp |
| ⅓ cup | 2.67 fl oz | 79 ml | 5.33 tbsp |
| ½ cup | 4 fl oz | 118 ml | 8 tbsp |
| ⅔ cup | 5.33 fl oz | 158 ml | 10.67 tbsp |
| ¾ cup | 6 fl oz | 177 ml | 12 tbsp |
| 1 cup | 8 fl oz | 237 ml | 16 tbsp |
| 2 cups (1 pint) | 16 fl oz | 473 ml | 32 tbsp |
| 4 cups (1 quart) | 32 fl oz | 946 ml | 64 tbsp |
| 16 cups (1 gallon) | 128 fl oz | 3785 ml | 256 tbsp |
Two cups make a US pint (16 fl oz), four cups a quart (32 fl oz) and sixteen cups a gallon (128 fl oz).
Dry ounces in a cup, by ingredient.
A cup of flour and a cup of honey take up the same space but weigh very different amounts, so “ounces” on a scale and “fluid ounces” in a jug only match for water and similar liquids.
| Ingredient (1 cup) | Ounces by weight | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 4.2 oz | 120 g |
| Bread flour | 4.2 oz | 120 g |
| Cake flour | 4.2 oz | 120 g |
| Granulated sugar | 7.0 oz | 198 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 7.5 oz | 213 g |
| Powdered sugar (unsifted) | 4.0 oz | 113 g |
| Butter | 8.0 oz | 227 g |
| Vegetable oil | 7.0 oz | 198 g |
| Honey | 11.9 oz | 336 g |
| Milk | 8.0 oz | 227 g |
| Heavy cream | 8.0 oz | 227 g |
| Water | 8.3 oz | 236 g |
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | 3.0 oz | 84 g |
| Chocolate chips | 6.0 oz | 170 g |
For more ingredients and other cup sizes, see the cups to grams chart.
UK and metric cups.
The UK uses imperial fluid ounces of 28.4 ml, a little smaller than US fluid ounces (29.6 ml), so a US cup is about 8.3 imperial fluid ounces. A UK pint is 20 imperial fluid ounces (568 ml), while a US pint is 16 US fluid ounces (473 ml). The metric cup used in the UK, Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml, about 8.5 US fluid ounces.
Common questions.
How many ounces are in a cup?
8 fluid ounces in 1 US cup of liquid. For dry ingredients the weight varies: about 4.2 oz for flour, 7 oz for granulated sugar and 8 oz for butter.
Is a cup 8 oz or 6 oz?
A measuring cup is 8 fluid ounces. Some coffee mugs and drink sizes are sold as “cups” of 6 oz, but recipes always mean 8 fl oz.
How many ounces are in ½ cup?
4 fluid ounces (about 118 ml).
How many cups are in 16 ounces?
2 cups of liquid. 16 oz of a dry ingredient by weight is a different amount: about 3.8 cups of flour or 2.3 cups of sugar.
Are fluid ounces and ounces the same?
No. Fluid ounces measure volume; ounces measure weight. They line up only for water and liquids of similar density.
How many ounces are in a UK cup?
A metric cup is 250 ml: about 8.5 US fluid ounces or 8.8 imperial fluid ounces.
Your list in the units you shop in.
MealPot writes the grocery list for the whole week in US or metric amounts.
Conversions use 1 US cup = 8 US fl oz = 236.6 ml, 1 imperial fl oz = 28.41 ml and 1 oz = 28.35 g. Cup weights are standard reference weights for spooned and levelled cups; how you fill the cup changes them.
More kitchen references: tablespoons to cups · ounces in a cup · cups to grams · oven temperatures · gas marks · fan oven · butter · ingredient substitutes · kitchen essentials