Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
Main DifferenceThe main difference between a teaspoon and tablespoon is that a teaspoon is a smaller spoon and a tablespoon is a bigger spoon.

Difference Between Teaspoon and Tablespoon
Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
A teaspoon is a part of cutlery set that is used to stir sugar in tea or coffee whereas a tablespoon is the part of cutlery set that is used to eat rice or serve food.
Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
The abbreviation of a teaspoon is “tsp.” conversely the abbreviation of a tablespoon is “Tbsp.”
Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
The capacity of an average teaspoon is 5mL on the flip side the capacity of an average tablespoon is 15mL.
Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
A teaspoon measures a small number of things while a tablespoon measures three times as much as a teaspoon
Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
A teaspoon is smaller in size on the flip side a tablespoon is larger.
Teaspoonnoun
A small spoon used to stir the contents of a cup or glass.
Tablespoonnoun
A large spoon, used for eating food from a bowl.
Teaspoonnoun
A unit of measure, equivalent to one-third of a tablespoon or roughly five milliliters.
Tablespoonnoun
A spoon too large for eating, usually used for cooking or serving.
Teaspoonnoun
a small spoon used for stirring tea or coffee; holds about one fluid dram
Tablespoonnoun
(cooking) A unit of volume, the value of which varies regionally; in the US: three teaspoons or roughly 15 ml; in Britain and Canada: exactly 15 ml; in Australia: four teaspoons or 20 ml.
Teaspoonnoun
as much as a teaspoon will hold
Tablespoonnoun
as much as a tablespoon will hold
Tablespoonnoun
a spoon larger than a dessert spoon; used for serving
Comparison Chart
Teaspoon | Tablespoon |
an essential part of cutlery set that is used to stir sugar in tea or coffee | an essential part of the cutlery set that is used to eat rice or serve food |
Size | |
smaller | bigger |
Denoted as | |
t, tsp | T, TB, Tbsp |
Average capacity | |
5mL | 15mL |
Uses | |
Measuring volume, to stir sugar in tea or coffee | Measuring volume, to eat rice or serve food |
Teaspoon vs. Tablespoon
The smaller spoons in the cutlery sets are called teaspoons. The bigger one’s spoons in every cutlery set or flatwares are called tablespoons. In cooking, there always is a need for measurements to put the spices in a standard quantity. Teaspoons and tablespoons serve this purpose. They are the two different measurements typically used in cooking. Teaspoons and tablespoons are two different pieces of spoons that are part of the cutlery. As its name reflects, the primary usage of a teaspoon is for tea. It is used to add and stir sugar to hot drinks such as tea, coffee, etc. teaspoons are also particularly used to eat certain types of foods, such as dessert. The tablespoon, being a bigger spoon, is commonly used to eat things in a large quantity such as rice, oats, etc. It may also be used to serve some foods on the table. The abbreviations of teaspoons are t, tsp. The abbreviation of a tablespoon is T, TB, Tbl, Tbsp. As a teaspoon is smaller, so it measures less than a tablespoon. However, the actual amount that a teaspoon and a tablespoon measures may differ from region to region or from country to country. The capacity of an average teaspoon is 5mL. The capacity of an average tablespoon is 15mL. Hence, a tablespoon measures three times as much as a teaspoon. Some people consider that a tablespoon is the equivalent of 2 teaspoons, which is wrong.
What is Teaspoon?
Teaspoons are units of volume that are handy for measuring.] smaller amounts of ingredients, such as spices. A teaspoon is used to measure spices because that would not be practical to weigh on a scale and are too small to measure in cups. Teaspoons are essential to the culinary arts and used in both the metric and Imperial systems. Teaspoons are the essential part of a cutlery set, and their uses include stirring, sipping or adding sugar to tea or coffee. Teaspoons are not only used in measuring volume while cooking but also used as a measure of volume for medicine prescriptions. It is denoted as tsp. The volume of a teaspoon differs according to the regions and the countries. For example, one teaspoon is equal to 1/48 of a cup, one teaspoon is equal to 1/6 ounces, and one teaspoon is equal to 1/768 of a gallon in the US. In the US, a common teaspoon is supposed to hold 5 milliliters by federal rules. The teaspoon in the Netherlands is much smaller than in the US. When it is used in Dutch recipes, it is often meant as ‘a little bit.’ Teaspoons are of following types:
- Dessert spoons, they are slightly larger than a teaspoon.
- Bar spoons, they are the same as a teaspoon.
- Coffee spoons, they are smaller than the teaspoon.
- Orange spoon or grapefruit spoon
- Ice teaspoons, they have long handles and are used in eating ice cream.
What is a Tablespoon?
Tablespoons are the units of volume used for measuring larger amounts of the ingredients that could not be weighed on a scale and are too small to measure in cups. Tablespoons are used in both the metric and Imperial systems and are essential to the culinary arts. Tablespoons are a part of a cutlery set used to eat things and also to serve food. They are Sometimes used in the preparation of food too. It is denoted as tbsp. Tablespoons are used mainly for measuring volume for cooking recipes. One tablespoon is equal to 1/2 ounces. However, this measurement differs according to the country or region. One tablespoon is equal to 3 or 4 teaspoons or 20 milliliters In Australia. In the UK, the tablespoons of the Victorian, as well as the Edwardian era, were 25 milliliters, or even larger sometimes. Dry measurements of tablespoon used in cooking are heaped or leveled tablespoons. Tablespoons are common cooking measurements around the world.
ConclusionTeaspoons and tablespoons are the essential part of cutlery sets, or flatwares are used as measuring tools around the world. Both are commonly used in the measurement of spices in cooking but are different from each other in their size, quantity, and function.