What is a Pint?
The pint is the standard pub-beer unit in the United Kingdom and a common measure for milk and cream worldwide.
Overview
The pint equals exactly one half of a US quart (0.473176473 liters) in the United States and 0.568261 liters in the United Kingdom (the imperial pint, 20% larger than the US pint). The British pint is iconic in pub culture — beer and cider are served in imperial pints in UK pubs, and the imperial pint glass is a regulated measure required by law. In the United States, milk is commonly sold by the pint (often as half-quart cartons), and ice cream containers are often pints (16 fl oz US). The pint relates to the gallon (8 pt = 1 gal), the quart (2 pt = 1 qt), the cup (2 cups = 1 US pt), and the fluid ounce (16 fl oz = 1 US pt; 20 fl oz = 1 imperial pt). The discrepancy between US and UK pints reflects the older 1824 imperial reform that the United States did not adopt.
Convert Pint to all units
Live resultRelationship to Other Volume Units
1 pt equalsVisual reference for how the pint relates to other volume units. Each row links to the full converter for that pair.
When Is the Pint Used?
- UK draft beer (half-pint and pint glasses)
- British doorstep milk delivery
- US ice-cream and ale packaging
A UK pub pint is 568 ml by law. A US pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream is 473 ml. UK milk bottles are often pints.
Tips for Using the Pint
- 1 US pint = 473 ml; 1 UK imperial pint = 568 ml — a 20% difference.
- UK pint = 20 UK fl oz; US pint = 16 US fl oz.
- When reading a pint figure, always note country context.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming a US pint equals a UK pint — 20% off.
- Using "pint" in bulk commerce without specification.
- Confusing dry pint (550 ml) with liquid pint (473 ml) in the US.