Editing Tablespoon (section)

===Traditional definitions===
In most places, one tablespoon equals three [[teaspoon]]s.  In Australia and the UK, one tablespoon equals four teaspoons.

====International metric====
An international metric tablespoon is exactly equal to 15&nbsp;mL.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last = Cardarelli |first = François |year = 2003 |title = Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures |publisher = Springer |isbn = 978-1-4471-1122-1 |location = London, UK |pages = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediasci00card_616/page/n67 44] |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediasci00card_616 |url-access=limited }}</ref>  It is the equivalence of 1{{sfrac|1|2}} [[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|metric dessert spoons]] or 3 [[Teaspoon#Metric_teaspoon|metric teaspoons]].

{|
|-
|1 international metric tablespoon&nbsp;
||=
|align=right|15||mL
|-
|||=
|align=right|{{sfrac|3|4}}||[[Tablespoon#Australian metric|Australian metric tablespoon]]
|-
|||=
|align=right|1{{sfrac|1|2}}||[[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|metric dessert spoons]]
|-
|||=
|align=right|3||[[Teaspoon#Metric teaspoon|metric teaspoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|4.22||[[Dram (unit)#Unit of volume|British imperial fluid drachm]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|0.53||[[Fluid ounce|British imperial fluid ounce]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|1.06||UK tablespoons
|-
|||≈
|align=right|2.11||[[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|UK dessert spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|4.22||[[Teaspoon#British culinary measurement unit|UK teaspoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|8.45||[[Salt spoon|UK salt spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|16.89||[[Pinch (unit)|UK pinches]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|253.41||[[Drop (unit)|UK drops]] (liquids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|4.06||[[Dram (unit)#Unit of volume|US customary fluid drams]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|0.51||[[Fluid ounce|US customary fluid ounce]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|1.01||US customary tablespoons
|-
|||≈
|align=right|1.52||[[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|US customary dessert spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|3.04||[[Teaspoon#United States customary unit|US customary teaspoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|6.09||US customary coffee spoons
|-
|||≈
|align=right|12.17||[[Salt spoon|US customary salt spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|24.35||[[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary dashes]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|48.69||[[Pinch (unit)|US customary pinches]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|97.39||[[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary smidgens]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|292.16||[[Drop (unit)|US customary drops]] (liquids only)
|}

====Australian metric====
The Australian metric tablespoon is different from that of the rest of the world.  The Australian official definition of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/articles/weights-measurement-charts/vnepuhic|title=Weights & measurement charts|website=Taste|language=en-AU|access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref>

::{|
|-
|1&nbsp;Australian&nbsp;metric tablespoon || colspan="3" | = 20&nbsp;mL
|-
| || = 1{{sfrac|1|3}} international metric tablespoons
|-
| || = 2&nbsp;metric dessert spoons, ||style="text-align:right;"| &emsp; &emsp; 1&nbsp;metric dessert spoon = || 10&nbsp;mL each 
|-
| || = 4&nbsp;metric teaspoons,  ||style="text-align:right;"| 1&nbsp;metric teaspoon = || &thinsp; 5&nbsp;mL each
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 5.63 British imperial fluid drachms
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 0.7 British imperial fluid ounce
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 1.41 UK tablespoons
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 2.82 [[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|UK dessert spoons]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 4.12 [[Teaspoon#British culinary measurement unit|UK teaspoons]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 11.26 [[Salt spoon|UK salt spoons]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 22.52 [[Pinch (unit)|UK pinches]] (solids only)
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 337.87 [[Drop (unit)|UK drops]] (liquids only)
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 5.41 [[Dram (unit)#Unit of volume|US customary fluid drams]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 0.67 [[Fluid ounce|US customary fluid ounce]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 1.35 US customary tablespoons
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 2.03 [[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|US customary dessert spoons]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 4.06 [[Teaspoon#United States customary unit|US customary teaspoons]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 4.06 US customary coffee spoons
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 16.23 [[Salt spoon|US customary salt spoons]]
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 32.46 [[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary dashes]] (solids only)
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 64.92 [[Pinch (unit)|US customary pinches]] (solids only)
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 129.85 [[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary smidgens]] (solids only)
|-
| ||colspan=3| ≈ 389.54 [[Drop (unit)|US customary drops]] (liquids only)
|}

This definition was promulgated by the Metric Conversion Board in the 1970s, as part of [[Metrication in Australia|the country’s metrication process]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45650408 |title=Your Complete metric guide to dieting |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |volume=43 |issue=33 |date=14 January 1976 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>  There is not a distinct Australian metric dessert spoon or metric teaspoon.

====United Kingdom====
In the UK, 1 tablespoon is traditionally 4 [[Dram (unit)#Unit of volume|British imperial fluid drachms]]<ref>[https://www.victorianschool.co.uk/ebooks/enquire%20within/10766-h/10766-h.htm#p665 Paragraph 665], page 119, ''Enquire Within Upon Everything'' (1894)</ref> ({{sfrac|1|2}} British imperial fluid ounce).

{|
|-
|1 UK tablespoon&nbsp;
||=
|align=right|4||British imperial fluid drachms
|-
|||=
|align=right|2||[[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|UK dessert spoons]]
|-
|||=
|align=right|4||[[Teaspoon#British culinary measurement unit|UK teaspoons]]
|-
|||=
|align=right|8||[[Salt spoon|UK salt spoons]]
|-
|||=
|align=right|16||[[Pinch (unit)|UK pinches]] (solids only)
|-
|||=
|align=right|240||[[Drop (unit)|UK drops]] (liquids only)
|-
|||=
|align=right|{{sfrac|1|2}}||British imperial fluid ounce
|-
|||≈
|align=right|3.84||US customary fluid drams
|-
|||≈
|align=right|0.48||US customary fluid ounce
|-
|||≈
|align=right|0.96||US customary tablespoon
|-
|||≈
|align=right|1.44||[[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|US customary dessert spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|2.88||[[Teaspoon#United States customary unit|US customary teaspoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|5.76||US customary coffee spoons
|-
|||≈
|align=right|11.53||[[Salt spoon|US customary salt spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|23.06||[[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary dashes]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|46.12||[[Pinch (unit)|US customary pinches]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|92.23||[[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary smidgens]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|276.70||[[Drop (unit)|US customary drops]] (liquids only)
|-
|||≈
|align=right|14.207||[[Litre#SI prefixes applied to the litre|millilitres]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|0.95||[[Tablespoon#International metric|international metric tablespoon]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|0.71||[[Tablespoon#Australian metric|Australian metric tablespoon]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|1.42||[[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|metric dessert spoons]]
|-
|||≈
|align=right|2.84||[[Teaspoon#Metric teaspoon|metric teaspoons]]
|}

====United States====
The traditional U.S. interpretation of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:<ref>
{{cite report
 |author1=Thompson, A. 
 |author2=Taylor, B.N. 
 |date=March 2008
 |orig-date=April 1995
 |title=The NIST Guide for the use of International System of Units
 |place=Gaithersburg, MD
 |publisher=U.S. [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]]
 |series=[[NIST]] Special Publication
 |volume=811
 |id=NIST SP811
 |url=https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf
}}
</ref>

::{|
|-
|1&nbsp;US&nbsp;customary tablespoon ||= 4&nbsp;[[Dram (unit)#Unit of volume|US&nbsp;fluid&nbsp;drams]]
|-
|||= 2 [[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|US customary dessert spoons]]
|-
|||= 3&nbsp;[[Teaspoon#United States customary unit|US customary teaspoons]]
|-
|||= 6&nbsp;US customary coffee spoons
|-
|||= 12&nbsp;[[Salt spoon|US customary salt spoons]]
|-
|||= 24&nbsp;[[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary dashes]] (solids only)
|-
|||= 48&nbsp;[[Pinch (unit)|US customary pinches]] (solids only)
|-
|||= 96&nbsp;[[Cooking weights and measures#United States measures|US customary smidgens]] (solids only)
|-
|||= 288&nbsp;[[Drop (unit)|US customary drops]] (liquids only)
|-
|||= {{sfrac|1|2}}&nbsp;US&nbsp;fluid&nbsp;ounce
|-
|||≈ 4.16 British imperial fluid drachms
|-
|||≈ 0.52 British imperial fluid ounce
|-
|||≈ 1.04 UK tablespoons
|-
|||≈ 2.08 [[Dessert spoon#Culinary measures|UK dessert spoons]]
|-
|||≈ 4.16 [[Teaspoon#British culinary measurement unit|UK teaspoons]]
|-
|||≈ 8.33 [[Salt spoon|UK salt spoons]]
|-
|||≈ 16.65 [[Pinch (unit)|UK pinches]] (solids only)
|-
|||≈ 249.8 [[Drop (unit)|UK drops]] (liquids only)
|-
|||≈ 14.8 mL<ref name="usold">{{cite web |author=Mechtly, E.A. |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19730018242.pdf |title=The International System of units |date=January 1973 |id=NASA-SP=7012, 1964, 1973}}<br/>The reference indicates the exact conversion to cubic metres, which has been converted to 14.78676478125&nbsp;ml here for convenience.</ref>
|-
|||≈ 0.99 international metric tablespoon
|-
|||≈ 0.74 Australian metric tablespoon
|-
|||≈ 1.48 [[Dessert spoon#Culinary measure|metric dessert spoons]]
|-
|||≈ 2.96 [[Teaspoon#Metric teaspoon|metric teaspoons]]
|}

In nutrition labeling in the U.S., a tablespoon is defined as 15&nbsp;mL<ref name="us">{{cite report |title=21 [[Code of Federal Regulations|CFR (Code of Federal Regulations)]] |section-url=http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2004/aprqtr/21cfr101.9.htm |section=101.9(b)(5)(viii) |publisher=U.S. [[Government Printing Office]] }}</ref> (about 4.22 British imperial fluid drachms (0.53 British imperial fluid ounce) or 4.06 US customary fluid drams (0.51 US customary fluid ounce)).