There are 16 US fluid oz in a pint in the United States, which equals about 473.18 mL or 2 cups. The British imperial version, however, is bigger: it holds 20 UK fluid ounces, or about 568.26 mL. So if a recipe or menu comes from the UK, expect roughly 20% more liquid.
Convert Pints to Fluid Ounces
Enter any number of pints below. The converter then shows US fluid ounces, UK fluid ounces, cups and milliliters, using the exact legal definitions. You can also switch the starting unit if you have ounces and need pints instead.
The pint is a mid-sized unit of volume. For example, you meet it on milk cartons, ice cream tubs, beer glasses and older recipes. Still, the word hides two different sizes. In the US, the liquid measure is 16 fluid ounces. In the UK, Ireland and much of the Commonwealth, by contrast, the imperial measure is 20 fluid ounces. On top of that, the imperial fluid ounce is slightly smaller than the US one.
Both sizes come from law, not habit. For example, the UK Weights and Measures Act fixes the imperial unit at 0.56826125 liters. Meanwhile, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) lists 16 fluid ounces, or 2 cups, in its metric kitchen equivalents. That table rounds the US measure to 480 mL for home cooking, while the exact figure is 473.176473 mL.
Below, you will find a quick chart first. Then the guide covers US vs UK sizes, the dry measure, what this much water weighs, and finally how to measure it accurately.
Oz in a Pint Chart: US and UK Side by Side
This chart covers the amounts that come up most often. Also note that each system uses its own fluid ounce, so the two ounce columns are not interchangeable.
| Pints | US fluid ounces (US) | mL (US) | UK fluid ounces (imperial) | mL (imperial) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | 4 | 118.3 | 5 | 142.1 |
| 1/2 | 8 | 236.6 | 10 | 284.1 |
| 1 | 16 | 473.2 | 20 | 568.3 |
| 1 1/2 | 24 | 709.8 | 30 | 852.4 |
| 2 | 32 | 946.4 | 40 | 1,136.5 |
| 3 | 48 | 1,419.5 | 60 | 1,704.8 |
| 4 | 64 | 1,892.7 | 80 | 2,273.0 |
| 5 | 80 | 2,365.9 | 100 | 2,841.3 |
| 6 | 96 | 2,839.1 | 120 | 3,409.6 |
| 8 | 128 | 3,785.4 | 160 | 4,546.1 |
Printable tip: print this page or save it as a PDF from your browser, then tape the chart inside a cupboard door. For the metric side in more detail, see how many milliliters are in a pint. Similarly, 8 US pints make a gallon, and our guide on how many pints make a gallon covers the larger units.
Recommended Tools for Measuring Pints and Ounces
A clear measuring jug with both fluid ounce and milliliter markings makes these conversions easy. First, look for a 2-cup jug, because its top line is exactly 16 US fluid ounces. Next, a 4-cup jug handles a full quart. Finally, a kitchen scale helps when you want to weigh water-based liquids instead of reading a meniscus.
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How Many Oz in a Pint in the US vs the UK?
Above all, this is where most confusion starts. The British unit is about 20% larger than the American one. Yet the UK fluid ounce is about 4% smaller than the US fluid ounce. As a result, the numbers do not line up neatly.
| Unit | US customary | British imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Full measure | 16 US fluid ounces = 473.18 mL | 20 UK fluid ounces = 568.26 mL |
| 1 fluid ounce | 29.57 mL | 28.41 mL |
| In the other system’s ounces | about 16.65 UK fluid ounces | about 19.22 US fluid ounces |
| Cups | 2 US cups | about 2.27 metric cups (250 mL) |
| Pints per gallon | 8 (3.785 L gallon) | 8 (4.546 L gallon) |
So the imperial measure holds about 19.2 US fluid ounces. Conversely, the US measure holds about 16.7 UK fluid ounces. In everyday terms, a British pub serving gives you roughly three more US ounces than an American bar serving. For a wider look at how the two systems differ, read our guide to US vs UK measurement units.
Liquid vs Dry Measure
The US also has a dry version. Farmers markets and grocers use it for berries, cherry tomatoes and other small produce. In fact, it equals 33.6003125 cubic inches, or about 550.61 mL. As a result, it is roughly 16% bigger than the liquid unit.
Because the dry unit measures loose solids, nobody really expresses it in fluid ounces. If you did, it would come to about 18.62 US fluid ounces. In practice, though, you only need to know that a basket of blueberries is not a 16-ounce liquid measure. Likewise, the weight of those berries depends on their size and how tightly they settle.
Fluid Oz in a Pint vs Weight Ounces
First, a fluid ounce measures space. An ounce on a scale, by contrast, measures weight. Therefore, the two match only for water and liquids with a similar density.
| Liquid (16 US fluid ounces) | Approximate weight | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Water | about 16.7 ounces (473 g) | density close to 1 g/mL |
| Whole milk | about 17.2 ounces (488 g) | slightly denser than water |
| Vegetable oil | about 15.4 ounces (435 g) | lighter than water |
| Honey | about 23.4 ounces (662 g) | much denser than water |
The old rhyme says “a pint’s a pound the world around”. That works for US water, which weighs about 1.04 pounds per 16 fluid ounces. However, the imperial measure of water weighs about 1.25 pounds, so the rhyme fails in Britain. Also, the weights above use typical densities, so treat them as estimates. For a deeper look at weight, see our post on how much an ounce weighs.
How to Measure a Pint Accurately
- Pick a clear jug. Use a liquid measuring cup with a spout and printed lines, not a dry scoop.
- Check the system. Look for “US” and “mL” on the scale, and confirm which size your recipe uses.
- Set it on a flat counter. Otherwise, a tilted jug can read several milliliters off.
- Pour to the line. For the US measure, fill to 2 cups, 16 fluid ounces or about 473 mL.
- Read at eye level. Crouch so your eye sits level with the bottom of the curved surface, called the meniscus.
- Adjust and repeat if needed. Add or pour off small amounts, then check the line again.
Alternatively, you can weigh water. First set a bowl on a kitchen scale and press tare. Then pour until it reads about 473 g for the US size or 568 g for the imperial size.
Do and Don’t With These Conversions
Do
- Check whether a recipe is American or British.
- Use a liquid measuring jug for liquids.
- Read the line at eye level.
- Convert by weight when baking needs precision.
- Remember 2 US cups make 16 fluid ounces.
Don’t
- Assume a British serving equals 16 ounces.
- Mix US and UK fluid ounces in one recipe.
- Treat fluid ounces as weight ounces for honey or oil.
- Pour a dry basket of berries into a liquid jug and expect 16 ounces.
- Trust a novelty bar glass as a measuring tool.
Honest Limits of These Numbers
The values on this page describe the legal definitions. Real jugs, however, carry printing tolerances, and your reading of the meniscus adds its own small error. In addition, rounding changes results: NIST’s kitchen table uses 480 mL, while the exact value is 473.18 mL. Still, that gap is under 2%, so it rarely matters in cooking.
Weight conversions, however, carry more uncertainty. For one thing, temperature changes density slightly. Moreover, ingredients like honey vary by brand and moisture. Therefore, treat any volume-to-pounds figure as a good estimate rather than an exact fact.
When Accuracy Really Matters
For soups and sauces, a small error makes no real difference. Still, a few situations need more care:
- Baking. Liquid ratios affect texture, so weigh water and milk when a recipe gives grams.
- Home brewing. Recipes from British sources use imperial pints and gallons, which changes every ingredient ratio.
- Medicine. Never measure liquid medicine with kitchen jugs or glasses; instead, use the dosing device that comes with it and dose in mL.
Oz in a Pint: Frequently Asked Questions
How many oz in a pint of beer?
In the US, a full pint of beer is 16 fluid ounces. In the UK, however, a pub serving is 20 UK fluid ounces, or about 568 mL.
Is a pint 16 oz or 20 oz?
Both, depending on the country. The US unit is 16 US fluid ounces, while the British imperial unit is 20 UK fluid ounces.
How many cups are in a pint?
There are 2 US cups in the US measure. In other words, each cup holds 8 fluid ounces, or about 236.59 mL.
How many oz in a pint of ice cream?
A US tub of ice cream holds 16 fluid ounces by volume. Its weight varies because ice cream contains air, so check the label for grams.
How many mL is a pint?
The US liquid measure is about 473.18 mL. By comparison, the imperial measure is about 568.26 mL, and the US dry measure is about 550.61 mL.
How many US oz in a pint from the UK?
The imperial measure holds about 19.22 US fluid ounces. In short, that is roughly 3.2 ounces more than the US version.
How many pints are in a quart?
There are 2 pints in a quart in both the US and UK systems. So a US quart is 32 fluid ounces.
Does a pint of water weigh a pound?
Almost. In the US, 16 fluid ounces of water weigh about 1.04 pounds, or 16.7 ounces. The imperial measure of water, meanwhile, weighs about 1.25 pounds.
Is a pint bigger than a liter?
No. A liter is about 2.11 US pints or about 1.76 imperial pints, so the liter is bigger.
What is a dry pint?
It is a US unit for produce like berries. It holds about 550.61 mL, which makes it about 16% larger than the liquid unit.
The Bottom Line
To sum up, there are 16 US fluid oz in a pint in America, about 473 mL, or 2 cups. The British imperial measure is larger at 20 UK fluid ounces, about 568 mL. So always check where a recipe or menu comes from before you pour.
Finally, if you want to skip the math, use the converter at the top of the page. In addition, it handles US and UK sizes, cups, quarts and milliliters in one step.