How Many Ounces in a Cup [Dry and Liquid Measurements] (2024)

How many Ounces in a Cup? This is a common question that you may encounter in recipes. If it sounds confusing, this easy guide is for you. Here you will learn everything on how to convert ounces to cups and cups to ounces. Free measurement charts included!

How Many Ounces in a Cup [Dry and Liquid Measurements] (1)

One of the struggle that many people have when baking or cooking, is measuring ingredients. Gallons, quarts, pints and grams, there are many different measurements. And now, 1 cup how many ounce? Maybe you are more familiar with cups, but the recipe uses ounces or fluid ounces.

Indeed there are tons of online calculators and articles, but most of them are confusing. Not anymore, this easy guide will provide you with all the information you need to quickly convert cup and ounces. Alongside an in-depth description and some theory, here you will find two complete oz cups charts for measuring both fluids and dry ingredients.

What is an ounce?

An ounces (abbreviated as oz) is a unit of weight commonly used in the United States and a few other countries to measure small quantities. In recipes, ounces are used for measuring both dry and liquid ingredients. There are ounces and fluid ounces, depending on what they are intended to measure.

What is a cup?

A cup is a unit of volume equal to 8 fluid ounces. In recipes, you may find cups under abbreviations like "C" or "c". Depending on the purpose, there are dry cups and liquid cups. The former are used for weighting out dry ingredients and are about 0.16 ounces larger than liquid cups, which measure liquid ingredients.

  • 1 cup is equivalent to ½ of a US pint, according to the US imperial system.
  • 1 cup is equivalent to 250 ml, according to the metric system.

When measuring in cups, you may often encounter tablespoons (abbreviated as tbsp or T) and teaspoons (abbreviated as tsp or t). These are two handy measurement tools that usually come with a set of cups.

How to convert ounces to cups

The relation between cup and ounces is pretty easy to understand, and it is our aim to explain the theory behind it. But if you are in a rush and need to know how many ounces are a cup, here's a short list. Note it down and stick it to the fridge for next time you need a quick oz cups conversion.

  • 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
  • ¾ cup = 6 fluid ounces
  • ½ cup = 4 fluid ounces
  • ¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces
  • 1 cup = 4.5 dry-weight ounces

Do you need to measure dry ingredients? Here is a simple conversion chart for converting dry ounces to cups and cups to dry ounces.

Ounces (oz) Cups (US) Grams (g) Pounds (lb)
½ ounce 0.0625 cups 15 grams 0.03125 pounds
1 ounce 0.125 cups 28 grams 0.0625 pounds
1 ½ ounces 0.1875 cups 42 grams 0.09375 pounds
2 ounces 0.25 cups 56 grams 0.125 pounds
3 ounces 0.375 cups 85 grams 0.1875 pounds
4 ounces 0.5 cups 113 grams 0.25 pounds
5 ounces 0.625 cups 142 grams 0.3125 pounds
8 ounces 1 cup 226 grams 0.5 pounds
10 ounces 1.25 cups 283 grams 0.625 pounds
12 ounces 1.5 cups 340 grams 0.75 pounds
14 ounces 1.75 cups 397 grams 0.875 pounds
15 ounces 1.875 cups 425 grams 0.9375 pounds
18 ounces 2.25 cups 510 grams 1.125 pounds
20 ounces 2.5 cups 567 grams 1.25 pounds
25 ounces 3.125 cups 710 grams 1.5625 pounds
28 ounces 3.5 cups 794 grams 1.75 pounds
40 ounces 5 cups 1134 grams 2.5 pounds

Do you need to measure liquid ingredients? Here is a simple chart to convert cups into ounces (fluid oz) and fluid ounces to cups.

Ounces (fl oz) Cups Milliliters (mL) Tablespoons (Tbsp)
1 fl oz⅛ cup30 mL2 Tbsp
2 fl oz¼ cup59 mL4 Tbsp
2 ⅔ fl oz⅓ cup79 mL5 Tbsp
4 fl oz½ cup118 mL8 Tbsp
4.2 fl oz½ cup125 mL8.45 Tbsp
5 ⅓ fl oz⅔ cup158 mL10 Tbsp
6 fl oz¾ cup177 mL12 Tbsp
8 fl oz1 cup237 mL16 Tbsp
8.5 fl oz1 cup250 mL16.9 Tbsp
10 ⅔ fl oz1 ⅓ cup316 mL21.33 Tbsp
11.8 fl oz1 ⅓ cup350 mL23.65 Tbsp
12 fl oz1 ½ cups355 mL24 Tbsp
13 ⅓ fl oz1 ⅔ cup395 mL26.67 Tbsp
14 fl oz1 ¾ cups414 mL28 Tbsp
16 fl oz2 cups474 mL32 Tbsp
20 fl oz2 ½ cups591 mL40 Tbsp
24 fl oz3 cups710 mL48 Tbsp
28 fl oz3 ½ cups828 mL56 Tbsp
32 fl oz4 cups948 mL64 Tbsp
40 fl oz5 cups1183 mL80 Tbsp
48 fl oz6 cups1420 mL96 Tbsp
64 fl oz8 cups1896 mL128 Tbsp
80 fl oz10 cups2370 mL160 Tbsp
96 fl oz12 cups2840 mL192 Tbsp

Fluid ounces to cups

There are 8 fluid ounces in 1 cup.

This simple cup to ounce conversion comes in very handy when measuring liquid ingredients such as water or milk, according to the US system.

Dry ounces to cups

There are 4.5 dry-weight ounces in 1 cup.

According to the US measurement system, this oz cups conversion should be applied when weighting out dry ingredients such as flour or rice.

Measurement equipment & Tools

Using the correct equipment is key, when measuring dry and liquid ingredients. After understanding the cup to ounce and ounce to cup conversion, you'll only need 3 simple tools. From plastic to metal and glass, they usually come in different materials. All are suitable, so choose the one you like the most.

Liquid measurement cups

Liquid measurement cups are used for measuring fluid ounces. You will need them when dealing with liquid ingredients such as water, milk, sauces or oil. Read further to learn how to measure fluids with cups.

Dry measurement cups

Dry measurement cups are used for weighting out dry ingredients such as rice, oats, flour, brown sugar or chocolate chips. Down below you will find step-by-step directions on how to measure dry ingredients in cups.

Measuring spoons

Teaspoons and tablespoons complement cups when measuring small quantities of ingredients. In this case, there is no differentiation between liquid and dry measurement spoons. They can be used for any type of ingredient.

British and American measuring cups

There are two types of cups: British measuring cups and US measuring cups. They measure different amounts, but this difference is almost negligible. Therefore, you should not worry that much, if the recipe doesn't call for precise quantities. As a reference:

  • 1 UK cup is equal to 250 ml
  • 1 US cup is equal to 240 ml
  • ½ UK cup is equal to 125 ml
  • ½ US cup is equal to 120 ml

Note: UK cups are the same as metric measurement cups. US cups are the same as imperial measurement cups.

How to fill liquid measuring cups?

  1. Set the measuring cup on a flat surface such as a table or a kitchen counter. This step ensures that the cup remains steady when filling it out.
  2. Gradually pour the liquid into the cup until it reaches the designated line, making sure not to surpass it.

When cooking and converting how many ounces in a cup, it is important to note that butter and cream cheese are treated as fluids. Therefore, both ingredients should be softened before measuring.

How to fill dry measuring cups?

  1. Make sure the dry ingredients are loose and without lumps. A quick way to remove lumps is using a sieve, or you can quickly stir them.
  2. Transfer the dry ingredient into the measuring cup, filling it completely until it overflows. You can use a spoon to help you out in this process. Make sure you do not pack the ingredients into cups, if not specified in the recipe.
  3. Set the cup down onto a firm and even surface.
  4. Smooth out the flour or dry ingredient using the rear of a knife or fork to create an even surface.
How Many Ounces in a Cup [Dry and Liquid Measurements] (2)

More useful conversions

  • How many cups in a gallon ?
  • How many cups in a quart ?
  • How many cups in a pint ?

How many ounces are in a dry cup?

There are 4.5 ounces in a cup of dry ingredients.

How many cups are in a gallon?

There are 16 cups in a gallon, if measuring fluid ingredients. In case you are measuring dry ingredients, there are 18.62 cups in a gallon. Check out our full guide on how many cups in a gallon for more details.

How many pints are in a quart?

There are 2 US liquid pints in 1 US quart.

How many ounces are in a cup of butter?

There are 8 fluid ounces in a cup of butter. Remember that butter is considered as a wet ingredient, and therefore shall be measured soft.

How many ounces in a cup of water?

There are 8 fluid ounces in a cup of water.

How many ounces in a cup of flour?

There are 4.5 ounces in a cup of flour.

How Many Ounces in a Cup [Dry and Liquid Measurements] (2024)
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