How do you pronounce Caramel?

[Philagoofy]

I've always said carmul. Just looked it up in Merriam Webster, has both pronunciations!

And I say pointsetta without the "ea" at the end.
I still say Halley's (as in the comet) the old fashioned way instead of Haaley's.

 

[Pugsley]

Mirriam Webster says cahr-mul. You can even hear it on their website. We all know the English language is pretty strange and things aren't always pronounced the way they're spelled!

 

[monarchsfan16]

2 syllables.

 

[The Mayor]

Do caramels make you fah......give you gas??

It's 2 syllables btw.

Only in my cah...3 syllables BTW

 

[Philagoofy]

Maybe it's a regional thing, like calling soda coke or soda or pop. There was another thread about colloquialisms.

 

[minnieandme]

I say it just like it is spelled = car-a-mel. I never understood the "carmel" pronounciation. I mean, don't you people SEE that "a" in the middle?

what she said

 

[themarquis]

the reason I created the poll is that I realized that people have such different pronunciations of the word! Neither one is technically "more correct" than the other.

But what is really interesting is that unlike other words with variant pronunciations (like "orange" -- "ohr-ange" or "ahr-ange"), the variance doesn't strictly seem to be regional as far as I can tell (although there could be some regions where it is only pronounced in one way -- for the most part, in most regions, it is pronounced both ways). A friend and I, after polling a bunch of people, started to wonder whether it is a class-based distinction. My friend, another friend, my gf, and I all pronounce it "car-mul" (we were all raised lower-middle/ working-class in various parts of the country). Many of our "car-ah-mel" pronouncing friends seem to have been raised more middle/upper-middle class...

Anyway, that's our current theory!

 

[Chris and Pooh]

Everyone in England as far as I am aware pronounces it with three syllables, rich or poor,

 

[Chris and Pooh]

Perhaps as generations pass all Americans will pronounce it as Carmel the same as Tomato. We say Tom Ar Toe, you say Tom Ay Toe

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

3 syllables. I got into an argument once with this guy at work, because he INSISTS it's pronounced with 2 syllables. I still think he's wrong.

He is wrong. Clearly people it's three syllables. Car-a-mel. Oh, it doesn't matter just give me some on an apple.

 

[RSoxFan]

I say caaaaahmel.

I'm a wicked cool Bostonian with the accent to prove it!

 

[megan4777]

You need a 3rd choice for people like me....I say whatever comes out of my mouth that day.

Seriously, I say care-a-mell and car-mel.

 

[TheDisneyTraveler06]

Care-A-Mel.

 

[jenm2878]

I DO see it--however, I've always kind of considered it a silent A. I also do not pronounce the H in vehicle. But that's a whole other argument.

My boss drives me nuts because he drops the h in words all the time. It's uge (huge), uman (human) and my favorite....Uron. (Huron but he says it like urine, not like the lake)

ETA: I say carmel - I think it's a regional thing because I'm not sure I've ever heard someone around here call it car-a-mel.

 

[Snoozan]

Out here in Western Mass, I believe most say it like carr-mol. We like our "r's out here in this part of the state!

 

[dcentity2000]

Us Brits say "Cah-rah-mel"



Rich::

 

[NAB]

I say it both ways. If I am talking the little candy it is 2 and if I say it has caramel in it is 3 .

 

[Pooh67_68]

3 syllables

Cah-ra-mel

 

[Cool-Beans]

2 syllables. Pretty much everyone I know says it that way. I also spell it "carmel," even if that is wrong.

We can't talk about carmel or caramel without Carmel Corn!!!



Carmel Corn Gift Set

 

[N.Bailey]

3 syllables here. Did you happen to watch a rerun of the Gilmore Girls where Emily pronounced it with 3? I know that show was just on and wondered if it was the inspiration for this thread?