Convert UK pints to US pints without the headache
Ever tried making a British scone recipe only to realize your measuring cup doesn’t match the "pints" they mention? Or maybe you’ve wondered why your friend’s London pub story involved bigger beer glasses? The answer lies in the sneaky difference between UK (imperial) pints and US (customary) pints. Let’s break it down—no advanced math degree required.
1 pt (UK) x 1.20095 = 1.20095 pt (US)
Discover other related calculators
Picture this: you’re baking a Victoria sponge cake from a vintage UK cookbook. The recipe calls for 2 pints of milk. If you pour 2 US pints into the batter, you’ll actually be short by nearly a cup. That’s because a UK pint is 20% larger than its US counterpart. This isn’t just trivia—it’s the difference between a showstopper dessert and a sad, dense cake.
Unit definitions
What is a UK pint (pt)?
- Description: The imperial pint used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries
- Symbol: pt
- Common uses: Draft beer servings, milk bottles, traditional recipes
- Definition: Exactly 568.26125 mL or 20 imperial fluid ounces
What is a US pint (pt)?
- Description: The liquid pint in the United States customary system
- Symbol: pt
- Common uses: Beverages, supermarket products, American cookbooks
- Definition: Exactly 473.176473 mL or 16 US fluid ounces
Conversion formula
To convert UK pints to US pints:
US pints = UK pints × 1.20095
Going the other way? Flip the equation:
UK pints = US pints ÷ 1.20095
Example calculations
- Converting 3 UK pints to US pints
3 × 1.20095 = 3.60285 → 3.603 US pints - Converting 5 US pints to UK pints
5 ÷ 1.20095 ≈ 4.163 → 4.163 UK pints
Conversion tables
UK pints to US pints
| UK pints | US pints |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.201 |
| 2 | 2.402 |
| 3 | 3.603 |
| 4 | 4.804 |
| 5 | 6.005 |
US pints to UK pints
| US pints | UK pints |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.833 |
| 2 | 1.665 |
| 3 | 2.498 |
| 4 | 3.331 |
| 5 | 4.163 |
Historical background
Here’s where things get juicy. The UK imperial system was formalized in 1824 to standardize measurements across the British Empire. But the US had already split off and kept using older English units that predated these changes. That’s why a US gallon (128 fl oz) is smaller than a UK gallon (160 fl oz)—and why their pints differ too.
Fun fact: The word "pint" comes from the Old French pinte, but nobody’s entirely sure how the measurements got its name. Some historians think it relates to medieval wine measures.
Interesting facts?
- Beeronomics: UK pubs must serve beer in imperial pints by law. Bartenders face fines for using US-sized glasses.
- Milk delivery: Until the 1970s, British milkmen delivered bottles in 1/3, 1/2, and 1 imperial pint sizes.
- Canadian switcheroo: Canada officially switched to metric in 1970 but still uses imperial pints for beer.
- Irish exception: Ireland uses imperial pints for draft beer but metric for packaged goods.
- Space pints: NASA uses metric, but astronauts reportedly argue about pint sizes during international missions.
FAQ
The UK uses the imperial system (20 fluid ounces per pint) while the US uses its own customary system (16 fluid ounces). They split measurement standards after the American Revolution.
1 UK pint equals approximately 1.20095 US pints. Multiply UK pints by 1.20095 for accurate conversions.
Yes! A British pub serves pints in 20-ounce imperial measures, while US bars use 16-ounce pints. You get 20% more beer in a UK pint.
No—check labels. UK measuring cups are 284 mL (½ pint), while US cups are 237 mL. Always verify the unit system.
For UK to US pints, reduce liquid by 16.6% to maintain proportions. Or use our converter above for precise amounts.