How Many Ounces In a Pint? [+ Calculator]
To give you a quick answer, there are 16 ounces in a pint. But if you’re looking for more detailed information, here’s a guide with lots of information to put you in the picture when figuring out pints versus ounces.
Understanding how to do cooking conversions can make for a more seamless experience and a more successful outcome!
Part of the fun in being a member of a global community (also known as the internet) is that we have access to recipes from around the world.
There is so much joy in being able to expand your knowledge base and learn from others when it comes to food and culinary culture. The tricky part comes when we come across measurements different from the ones we grew up using.
Welcome to my comprehensive guide to converting pints to ounces and more.
What is a pint?
To start with, let’s clarify what a pint is. A pint is a way to measure how much liquid or volume a container will hold.
Pints are used in various parts of the world to measure liquids and dry ingredients but are named differently. In the US, a pint most commonly refers to a liquid pint equal to 473ml. There is the less common dry pint, but a pint is mainly used when measuring liquids.
In the UK, Ireland, and a few other commonwealth countries, the imperial pint is used to measure liquids and is equal to 568ml.
For this article, we will refer to the US pint.
What is an ounce?
An ounce or fluid ounce is often abbreviated to oz or fl oz. This metric is used in the US and UK as their smallest weight measurement. Essentially, what is considered is the gravity of the object multiplied by its mass.
The word ounce dates back to Roman times and originates from the term “uncia,” which was 1/12 of a roman copper bar.
If you wonder how many tablespoons is an ounce here you can check out this article about ounce-tablespoons.
How many oz in a pint?
In this question, it is most likely that you’ll be looking for the answer to “how many fluid ounces are in a pint,” and the answer is 16. A US fluid ounce is 1/16th of a pint, if you want another way of putting it.
In the UK, 1 pint (UK Pint) = 20 oz (UK)
Conversion table
Here is a conversion table that will significantly impact your conversion adventures. Please print it out and pop it onto your fridge for ease of use!
Fluid ounces | Gallons | Cups | Quarts | Pints |
8 fl oz | 1/16th gallon | 1 cups | ¼ quart | ½ pint |
16 fl oz | 1/8th gallon | 2 cups | ½ quart | 1 pint |
32 fl oz | ¼ gallon | 4 cups | 1 quart | 2 pints |
64 fl oz | ½ gallon | 8 cups | 2 quarts | 4 pints |
128 fl oz | 1 gallon | 16 cups | 4 quarts | 8 pints |
Measuring pints and ounces around the world
Earlier in the article, it is stated that the US pint is equal to 473ml. Let’s take a look at another part of the world and the way they measure.
In Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, a pint equals 20 imperial ounces, which, in terms of US fluid ounces, is 18.43 fl oz.
In Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, a pint = 500ml, slightly over 16 US fl oz.
Dry and a wet pint
A dry pint and a wet pint are not the same. A wet pint is essentially 20 ounces, while a dry pint is 16. They are different because water is less dense than solids and therefore requires more space. In terms of conversion to cups – there are two cups in a pint and two pints in a quart. If you can remember that rule, it will make your baking life a lot simpler.
Fluid ounce and Dry Ounce
Like the dry versus wet pint story, there is also a difference between a fluid ounce (fl oz) and a dry ounce. Essentially it’s the same principle. A workable example would be – if you weighed cut-up bananas versus blended bananas, which one would take up the most amount of space? The blended banana, that’s right!
Here is a quick little conversion list for easy reference; these are based on dry ounces:
- 0.05 pints = 1 oz
- 0.53 pints = 10 oz
- 1.07 pints = 20 oz
- 2.68 pints = 50 oz
FAQ
Is a quart or a pint bigger?
A quart is double the size of a pint.
Which measurement is best to use in recipes?
Most measuring tools nowadays use metric and imperial measurements. Most scales have either a gram or an ounce setting, and measuring cups and jugs are labeled with pints and cups so you can easily use either measurement.
The imperial system covers weight and volume and is therefore appropriate for both wet and dry ingredients. Measuring cups can be used for wet and dry ingredients (cup of flour, cup of milk); the same applies to tablespoons (tablespoon of water, tablespoon of sugar).
So, for cooking, in the imperial system, you can use cups and tablespoons across dry and wet ingredients, which is therefore considered easier to use in recipes.
What is the difference between Metric and Imperial systems?
Here are a few differentiating features between the metric and imperial systems. The metric system has measurements based on units of 10. The Imperial system uses units of weight and volume based on units of 12.
In terms of metric measurements for weight and volume, there are milliliters, liters, milligrams, grams, and kilograms. With regards to the imperial system, you will find teaspoons, tablespoons, ounces, pounds, pints, and gallons.
Wrapping it up
It’s a good idea to print out a conversion chart and keep it somewhere close to your baking and cooking zone. One of the most confusing aspects of moving to a new country (that you maybe don’t consider ahead of the move) is figuring out how to measure in a new metric zone! Hopefully, this article was helpful and has set you on the right road to figuring out “how many ounces in a pint”?