Meaning & use
tbsp
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Meaning
abbreviation
A written abbreviation for tablespoon, a unit of volume used in cooking, equal to about 15 milliliters.
Grammar: Used mainly in recipes and on food packaging, usually followed by a number or a food item: 2 tbsp sugar.
Patterns
- tbsp of something
- number + tbsp + ingredient
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan.
The recipe calls for 3 tbsp of honey.
Mix in 2 tbsp of flour and stir well.
Common combinations
- tbsp of
- She added a tbsp of lemon juice to the dressing.
- 1 tbsp
- Use 1 tbsp of butter for each pancake.
- tbsp sugar
- The cake needs 4 tbsp sugar.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tablespoon
- The full word; use it in formal writing or when speaking, while tbsp is the short form in recipes.
- T
- A capital T is sometimes used in American recipes to mean tablespoon, but it can be confused with teaspoon, so tbsp is clearer.
Word family
- tablespoon noun
- The full form; a large spoon used for serving or a unit of measurement.
- tsp abbreviation
- Abbreviation for teaspoon, a smaller unit; three teaspoons make one tablespoon.
Commonly confused: tbsp or tsp?
tbsp vs tsp
Tsp means teaspoon, which is one third of a tablespoon. Mixing them up can make a recipe too strong or too weak.
Practice
The recipe says to add 2 ___ of vanilla extract. Which abbreviation fits?
Choose one answer.
For a small amount of flavoring like vanilla, tsp (teaspoon) is the usual unit. Tbsp would be three times as much and too strong; ml and g measure volume and weight but are not the abbreviation used in this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tbsp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.