What is millilitre?
A millilitre is a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a litre. It is commonly used in medicine, cooking, laboratory measurements, and the labelling of food and beverage products.
Real-world uses
Millilitres are used for medication dosages (cough syrup, injectable solutions), cooking measurements, cosmetic product volumes, and laboratory reagent quantities. A standard medical syringe is graduated in mL, and espresso shots are typically 25–30 mL.
History
The millilitre emerged naturally from the litre with metric prefix conventions. It became essential in medicine and laboratory science where precise small-volume measurements are critical. In medical contexts, "cc" (cubic centimetre) was long used interchangeably with mL.
Common mistakes
Confusing millilitres with cubic centimetres—they are numerically equal (1 mL = 1 cm³) but conceptually different units. Also, mixing up mL with mg; one is volume, the other is mass.
What is teaspoon (metric)?
A metric teaspoon is a volume unit equal to exactly 5 millilitres. It is a standard unit in cooking recipes and pharmaceutical dosing instructions across metric countries.
Real-world uses
The metric teaspoon (5 mL) is used in cooking recipes, pharmaceutical dosing instructions, and nutrition labelling. It is the standard dosing spoon for children's liquid medicines. Most international recipes specify teaspoon measurements assuming the 5 mL metric standard.
History
The teaspoon originated as a unit of apothecary measure in the 18th century, roughly the volume of a small spoon used to stir tea. The metric teaspoon was standardized at exactly 5 mL to align with the metric system and simplify pharmaceutical dosing.
Common mistakes
Confusing the metric teaspoon (5 mL) with the US customary teaspoon (4.929 mL) or the older Imperial teaspoon (3.55 mL). Also, using a household spoon instead of a measuring spoon—actual spoons vary widely in size.
When is this conversion used?
Converting millilitre to teaspoon (metric) is useful in the volume domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
Worked examples
1 millilitre = 0.2 teaspoon (metric)
1 teaspoon (metric) = 0.005 litre
How to convert millilitre to teaspoon (metric)
To convert millilitre to teaspoon (metric), multiply the value by 0.2.
To convert teaspoon (metric) back to millilitre, multiply by 5.
Measurement standards
The cubic metre is the SI derived unit of volume. The litre, equal to exactly one cubic decimetre (0.001 m³), is accepted by the BIPM for use alongside SI units. Both the lowercase "l" and uppercase "L" are approved symbols for the litre.
Did you know?
An Olympic swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic metres of water — about 2.5 million litres. The Amazon River discharges roughly 209,000 cubic metres per second, enough to fill 84 Olympic pools every single second.
Quick reference: millilitre to teaspoon (metric)
| millilitre | teaspoon (metric) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.02 |
| 0.5 | 0.1 |
| 1 | 0.2 |
| 2 | 0.4 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 25 | 5 |
| 50 | 10 |
| 100 | 20 |
| 250 | 50 |
| 500 | 100 |
| 1,000 | 200 |
Common values
| millilitre | teaspoon (metric) | |
|---|---|---|
| A teaspoon | 5 millilitre | 1 teaspoon (metric) |
| A cup of coffee | 250 millilitre | 50 teaspoon (metric) |
| A water bottle | 500 millilitre | 100 teaspoon (metric) |
| A bathtub | 300,000 millilitre | 60,000 teaspoon (metric) |
| A swimming pool (Olympic) | 2.500000e+09 millilitre | 500,000,000 teaspoon (metric) |
Available Volume units
More millilitre conversions
- Convert millilitre to litre
- Convert millilitre to US gallon
- Convert millilitre to cubic metre
- Convert millilitre to Imperial gallon
- Convert millilitre to US fluid ounce
- Convert millilitre to Imperial fluid ounce
- Convert millilitre to teaspoon (metric)
- Convert millilitre to tablespoon (metric)
- Convert millilitre to cubic centimetre