What Is Imperial Pint (imp pt)?
An imperial pint is a unit used to measure liquid volume. It is part of the old British imperial system. One imperial pint is a bit more than half a liter of liquid. It is still common in pubs and shops for drinks like beer, cider, and milk in some countries.
Definition
An imperial pint is a fixed amount of liquid volume used in the imperial system.
- 1 imperial pint = 20 imperial fluid ounces
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 568 milliliters (ml)
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 0.568 liters (L)
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 1.20 US liquid pints
So, if you imagine a 500 ml bottle of water, an imperial pint is a little more than that.
History / Origin
The imperial pint comes from the United Kingdom. Before the 1800s, different towns and trades used different sizes for pints and gallons. This made trade and measuring confusing.
In 1824, the British government passed the Weights and Measures Act. This law created the imperial system and gave clear sizes for units. The imperial gallon was defined first, based on water. Then the imperial pint was set as:
- 1 imperial pint = 1/8 of an imperial gallon
- 1 imperial pint = 20 imperial fluid ounces
The imperial system spread across much of the British Empire. Many countries later changed to the metric system, but the imperial pint stayed popular for everyday use, especially for beer and milk.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The usual short forms for the imperial pint are:
- imp pt – common clear symbol, shows it is an imperial pint
- pt – sometimes used, but this can be confusing because US pints also use “pt”
To avoid confusion, it is best to write imp pt when you mean an imperial pint and US pt when you mean a US pint.
Current Use Around the World
Today, most countries use the metric system with liters and milliliters, but the imperial pint is still used in some places.
- United Kingdom – Imperial pints are still common for draught beer and cider in pubs, and for some milk and cream in shops. Many people in daily life also talk about pints when speaking about drinks.
- Ireland – Beer and cider in pubs are usually sold in imperial pints.
- Canada – Canada is metric, but some bars serve beer in glasses close to an imperial pint. Labels and laws may use metric, so the exact size can vary.
- Other countries – Some places with British influence may still use the word “pint” in pubs, but the actual size can be different or only approximate.
In science, medicine, and most trade, the metric system is preferred, so liters and milliliters are used instead of imperial pints.
Example Conversions
Here are some easy conversions to help you understand the imperial pint better.
Imperial pints to liters
Use this idea:
1 imperial pint ≈ 0.568 liters
- 2 imperial pints ≈ 2 × 0.568 = 1.136 liters
- 4 imperial pints ≈ 4 × 0.568 = 2.272 liters
- 6 imperial pints ≈ 6 × 0.568 = 3.408 liters
Imperial pints to milliliters
1 imperial pint ≈ 568 ml
- 0.5 imperial pint ≈ 0.5 × 568 = 284 ml
- 3 imperial pints ≈ 3 × 568 = 1704 ml
- 8 imperial pints ≈ 8 × 568 = 4544 ml (about 4.5 liters)
Imperial pints to US pints
1 imperial pint ≈ 1.20 US liquid pints
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 1.2 US pints
- 2 imperial pints ≈ 2.4 US pints
- 5 imperial pints ≈ 6 US pints (because 5 × 1.2 = 6)
Imperial pints to cups
In the imperial system:
- 1 imperial pint = 2 imperial cups
- So 0.5 imperial pint = 1 imperial cup
Related Units
The imperial pint is closely linked to several other volume units.
- Imperial gallon (imp gal) – The base large unit of liquid volume in the imperial system.
- 1 imperial gallon = 8 imperial pints
- Imperial quart (imp qt) – One quarter of an imperial gallon.
- 1 imperial quart = 2 imperial pints
- Imperial fluid ounce (fl oz) – A small unit in the imperial system.
- 1 imperial pint = 20 imperial fluid ounces
- US liquid pint (US pt) – The US version of the pint, smaller than the imperial pint.
- 1 US pint ≈ 473 ml
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 1.20 US pints
- Liter (L) – Main metric volume unit for liquids.
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 0.568 L
- Milliliter (ml) – Small metric unit.
- 1 imperial pint ≈ 568 ml
- Cup
- 1 imperial pint = 2 imperial cups
- In cooking, many metric recipes use 250 ml as 1 cup, so an imperial pint is a bit more than 2 metric cups.
FAQs
How big is an imperial pint in milliliters?
An imperial pint is about 568 milliliters. This is a little more than half of a liter, which is 500 ml.
What is the difference between an imperial pint and a US pint?
The imperial pint is larger. An imperial pint is about 568 ml. A US liquid pint is about 473 ml. This means 1 imperial pint is roughly 1.20 US pints.
Where is the imperial pint still used today?
The imperial pint is still widely used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for serving beer and cider in pubs. It is also used for some milk and cream in shops. In most other cases, even in these countries, metric units like liters and milliliters are now used.
Is the word “pint” always the same size?
No. The word “pint” can mean different sizes in different systems and countries. The two main versions are the imperial pint and the US pint. When accuracy matters, it is important to say which one you mean, for example “imp pt” or “US pt”.
Can I use imperial pints in cooking?
You can, but many modern cookbooks use metric units or US cups and pints. If you have a recipe in imperial pints, remember that 1 imperial pint is about 568 ml. You can measure 500 ml plus a little more to get close to an imperial pint.
Why do British pubs still use imperial pints?
Pints are a long tradition in British and Irish pub culture. People are used to ordering “a pint” of beer or cider. Even though the metric system is official for most trade, the law in the UK still allows beer and cider to be sold by the imperial pint.
How many imperial pints are in an imperial gallon?
There are 8 imperial pints in 1 imperial gallon. So if you know the number of gallons, you can find pints by multiplying by 8.