How Many Ounces in a Cup? Fluid vs Dry Ounces Explained
There are 8 fluid ounces in 1 US cup. So ½ cup is 4 fl oz, ¾ cup is 6 fl oz and 2 cups is 16 fl oz.
But there is a catch that trips up a lot of cooks: an ounce can mean two different things. A fluid ounce measures volume (how much space something takes up), while a regular ounce measures weight. For water they are almost the same. For flour, sugar or honey they are not. This guide explains both, with charts you can use straight away.
Want a quick number? Try the cups to ounces converter or the reverse ounces to cups converter.
Fluid ounces in a cup: quick chart
| Cups | US fluid ounces | Tablespoons | Milliliters (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 2 fl oz | 4 tbsp | 59 ml |
| ⅓ cup | 2⅔ fl oz | 5 tbsp + 1 tsp | 79 ml |
| ½ cup | 4 fl oz | 8 tbsp | 118 ml |
| ⅔ cup | 5⅓ fl oz | 10 tbsp + 2 tsp | 158 ml |
| ¾ cup | 6 fl oz | 12 tbsp | 177 ml |
| 1 cup | 8 fl oz | 16 tbsp | 237 ml |
| 2 cups (1 pint) | 16 fl oz | 32 tbsp | 473 ml |
| 4 cups (1 quart) | 32 fl oz | 64 tbsp | 946 ml |
| 16 cups (1 gallon) | 128 fl oz | 256 tbsp | 3.79 liters |
One US fluid ounce is about 29.6 ml, and 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons. That makes the maths easy: double the fluid ounces to get tablespoons.
The most-asked cup to ounce conversions
How many ounces in ¾ cup?
¾ cup = 6 fluid ounces. See the ¾ cup to ounces page for more detail.
How many ounces in ½ cup?
½ cup = 4 fluid ounces. More on the half cup to ounces page.
How many ounces in ⅓ cup?
⅓ cup = 2⅔ fluid ounces (about 2.67 fl oz). See ⅓ cup to ounces.
How many ounces in ¼ cup?
¼ cup = 2 fluid ounces. See quarter cup to ounces.
How many ounces in 2 cups?
2 cups = 16 fluid ounces, which is also 1 US pint. See 2 cups to ounces.
Fluid ounces vs dry ounces
This is where most confusion comes from.
- A fluid ounce (fl oz) is a unit of volume. It tells you how much space a liquid fills. Measuring cups and jugs are marked in fluid ounces.
- An ounce (oz) is a unit of weight. It is 1/16 of a pound, or about 28.35 grams. You measure it on a scale.
For water, 1 fluid ounce weighs very close to 1 ounce, so the two line up nicely. That is why "8 ounces in a cup" works for water, milk and juice.
For everything else, the weight of a cup depends on the ingredient. A cup of flour weighs far less than a cup of honey, even though they fill the same cup.
How many ounces does a cup weigh? (by ingredient)
These are weights, measured with a scale, for 1 US cup.
| Ingredient | Weight of 1 cup (oz) | Weight of 1 cup (g) |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 4.4 oz | 125 g |
| Cake flour | 4.0 oz | 114 g |
| Cocoa powder | 3.0 oz | 85 g |
| Rolled oats | 3.2 oz | 90 g |
| Granulated sugar | 7.1 oz | 200 g |
| Brown sugar (packed) | 7.8 oz | 220 g |
| Powdered sugar | 4.2 oz | 120 g |
| Butter | 8.0 oz | 227 g |
| Water | 8.4 oz | 237 g |
| Milk | 8.6 oz | 245 g |
| Honey | 12.0 oz | 340 g |
So if a recipe asks for "8 oz of flour", it means weight, and that is nearly 2 cups, not 1. To convert weights accurately, use the ounces to grams converter together with the grams to cups converter, or see our full chart of how many grams are in a cup.
How to tell which ounce a recipe means
- Liquid ingredient (water, milk, stock, oil, juice): it almost always means fluid ounces. Use a measuring cup.
- Dry ingredient (flour, sugar, nuts, chocolate, cheese): it almost always means weight ounces. Use a scale.
- "fl oz" written out: always volume.
- "oz" on a packet (like a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips): weight.
- Butter: in the US, 8 oz of butter is 2 sticks, which is 1 cup. Here weight and volume happen to line up. Try the butter converter for sticks, cups, tablespoons and grams.
Are ounces the same in the UK?
The weight ounce is the same everywhere: 28.35 g. The fluid ounce is not.
A UK (imperial) fluid ounce is about 28.4 ml, slightly smaller than the US fluid ounce at 29.6 ml. The cups are different too: a metric cup (used in Australia, Canada and New Zealand) holds 250 ml, about 8.45 US fluid ounces. Old British recipes may use an imperial cup of about 284 ml, which is 10 imperial fluid ounces.
If you are working from a recipe from another country, our US cup vs metric cup vs UK cup guide explains how to adjust.
Frequently asked questions
How many ounces are in a cup?
There are 8 US fluid ounces in 1 US cup.
Is 8 oz always 1 cup?
Only for volume (fluid ounces) and for water-like liquids. By weight, 8 oz of flour is close to 2 cups, while 8 oz of honey is only about ⅔ cup.
How many ounces in ¾ cup?
¾ cup is 6 fluid ounces.
How many ounces in a cup of flour?
1 cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 4.4 oz (125 g).
How many fluid ounces in a pint?
A US pint is 16 fluid ounces, which is 2 cups.
How many tablespoons in a fluid ounce?
There are 2 tablespoons in 1 fluid ounce. For more spoon conversions, see how many tablespoons are in a cup.
The bottom line
For liquids, remember 8 fluid ounces per cup and 2 tablespoons per fluid ounce. For dry ingredients, ounces mean weight, so check the chart above or use the grams to ounces converter to be precise.