# Caramel or Caramel - How Do You Say It?



## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

This morning I had a conversation with a Canadian friend of mine. In it I used the word "Caramel" (which I pronounce "car-mell") My friend said it should be pronounced "care-a-mell". We looked up on U-Tube and saw commercials - old and new, Canadian and US - and indeed some were my way and others were his.

How do you all pronounce the word "Caramel" and where are you from?

A - car-mell

B - care-a- mell

Just wondering on this Sunday morning . . .

Have a great one! Sheila


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

well mine would be and is care a mell….......raised in michigian and arizona….speaking of also…where are some…now my sweet tooth is humming…man…


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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

That's what started the conversation, Grizz! I made the sticky buns yesterday with "CARAMEL" topping! MMMmm! Good breakfast this morning!

YUM- ME!!


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## FredG (Apr 11, 2008)

Origin is French, so Ca-ra-mel.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

if it wasn´t becourse I just eat some cake at this moment 
you Sheila wuold be the corse , why I wuold be bycicling 
down after some candy in a moment or two….lol

I´m Danish and we say and spell it "ka-ra-mel"

Dennis


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I'm with "B". Isn't "A" that city on the California coast? Oh no… that's kar-mel'.


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## mikethetermite (Jun 16, 2009)

We have a town north of Indianapolis they call it car-mal in Calf. They pronounce it the other way.
The speaking dictionary says it both ways.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Carmel+


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Can't talk with my mouth full…


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## Roger Clark aka Rex (Dec 30, 2008)

B is correct.
Now pronounce "laboratory" !!!! and "schedule"


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## kitkat (Sep 26, 2010)

From OH near Cleveland now in Louisville KY and in both areas I hear people say car-mell


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## cranesgonewild (Jun 9, 2010)

It's B up here in my household in Canada. But, either way is fine. We even accept the American's mispelling of words like colour and neighbour, etc. lol


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

either way is fine by me

can i have some more

sticky buns please

and another coffee


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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

I'll have one for you patron! 


From Everday Stuff

Mmmmm!


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Reading specialist guru in cognito here. Actually- phonetically speaking the proper pronunciation for the word 
caramel would be car- am-ell. Local dialects vary of course. EVery syllable has to have a vowel - and this word has 3 syllables. First syllable is r controlled- /car/ second syllable /am/is closed syllable which makes the vowel short and and same for the final syllable /el/. The word would not be care- am-el because there is no silent e (that has been dropped to add an ending) hiding after the first syllable /car/. It is also not car-mell because that pronunciation omits the second (middle) syllable of /am/ So there it is the proper pronunciation should be car-am-el. Another bit of worthless trivia to add to your already over loaded memory banks.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Here's how I say it:


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Cara- mell

but It's really impolite to speak with your mouth full


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Fred- ca-ra-mel… where would the phonetic emphasis in that word be in French? CA-ra-mel or ca-RA-mel or ca-ra-MEL. Just curious. Cranes- when I was in grade school - we actually learned to spell color and neighbor with the u in it.. then I don't know what happened to the u? LOL I still write those words that way sometimes.. but then spell check tells me I am wrong.  Again, French influence in coloUr and neighboUr.


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## GMman (Apr 11, 2008)

We use "care-a-mell" in English and in French "caramel " but it is good both ways.


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## FredG (Apr 11, 2008)

Hi Rivergirl,
The emphasis in French on the last syllable, same as in Dutch.
http://www.dicocitations.com/definition_littre/4844/Caramel.php


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

We use all the syllables here in Western Canada… 

Rivergirl, I believe it was the British influence regarding the U in colour, if it was French it would have an "E"

I still remember a story about our Prime Minister being so disgusted about a debate in Parliament regarding the removal of U in color, neighbour, etc, and he finally stood up and said

*"If all you can do is argue about getting the U out of colour, maybe you need to get the H out of Parliament!"*


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

It depends, I just ate a carmel apple (really did, and it was tasty), but I buy car*a*mels to make the carmel apples with.


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## jeth (Aug 18, 2010)

I'm English, and we would agree with with FredG and others, ka-ra-mel / ca-ra-mell, no particular phonetic emphasis.
Oh, and Rivergirl, in England colour and neighbour are still written with the 'u', and our spell checkers would tell us we are wrong if we leave it out


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

no matter what the origin or dialect. Isnt' language so interesting - Now let's go eat.


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## BritBoxmaker (Feb 1, 2010)

Its B in England.

Oh and by the way Aluminium is pronounced 'Al-u-min-e-um' and the 'l' in Solder is not silent either.

Two nations seperated by a common language.


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## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

This has been really interesting guys and girls. I am glad I asked. I grew up in the Chicago area (Shi-Caw-Go) and we all pronounced it like A.

Here is a video we found that tells me I am not crazy.






I realize it can be said both ways. I have been here in Canada for over six years now and I still have people make good-natured fun of my 'accent'. Then I talk to a "Newfie" . . . .

Thanks for all your thoughts today. 

Sheila


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Brit- in America aluminum is spelled without the -i which makes us say al-u-min-um. IN British English the addition of the i beofre um changes the phonetic componets and syllibication to al-u-min-ium. So there it is.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

A little late, but *Welcome to Canada*, Sheila!


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Car-a-mel for me! My take away from this exchange is "syllabication". If I hadn't been so interested in physics, I'd've studied phonetics. The play of language has always fascinated me.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

I'm English and we say ca-ra-mel. I haven't heard it spoken or seen it spelt any other way this side of the pond.

I agree with AtomJack, the difference in the way people pronounce words is very interesting and funny sometimes. For example, in the US you say 'a-lumin-um'. In England we say 'alu-min-ium'. You say 'rabbet', we say 'rebate'. You say 'mom', we say 'mum'.

Yet both countries speak English---or do they?


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

All y'all are wrong! In the Ozarks it is Car-Mel. So there you go. It's just that all them red coats did not take everything home with them two hundret years ago. Any more questions? We're here to help.


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

Pot-A-to - Pot-ah-to.
Tom-A-to- Tom-ah-to.
As long as my caramels have little pieces of coconut in them, I am happy man.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Swoons…caramel and coconut in the same place?!? Wow! 0.o Hmm, if you substituted pecans for caramel, you could make some nice filler for a german chocolate cake. NOW we're talking about…what was it again? Oh, yeah, pronunciation…

Brit, that "rebate" vs. "rabbet" is one of the funny things, I will agree. Another funny is the vehemence that I see in some places where the Brits say "maths" and the Americans (USA) say "math" for mathematics. Note that I add (USA) to Americans; this is because a lot of people get hung up on the fact that Brazil, for example, is part of the "Americas", and could be part of what is called "America". Yeah, I know, but that's the kind of stuff people will argue about, with veins poppin' in their faces. I say let's go chop some wood…er madera…er…


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## jiji (Aug 11, 2010)

aaaaa shoot…I say carmul.


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

If talking about the town in California I go with Kar-Mel…

If talking about the candy, I say GOOD!

Herb


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## BertFlores58 (May 26, 2010)

Out here (Philippines).. it is different… we call it jam, matamis, or sometimes candy… we dont say cara-mell but we specify what caramel products it is…. We are more "linguist" because no matter how you pronounce caramel, we always do understand if you gave us a sample for the "lingua" to taste…


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

LOL Bert I´m with you there LOL

Dennis


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

I buy all my Car-a-mel in Carmel because I get a rebate and no cramps.


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## terrilynne (Jun 24, 2010)

carmel..I.From.Michigan.originally.


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## KentS (May 27, 2009)

Who cares, now I'm hungry.

In Texas I hear it both ways, but then we don't pronounce anythang right.


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## BobG (Apr 17, 2010)

I haven't seen it yet but, I was born and raised in coal country in Pennsylvania. "Car-mole" maybe without the e on the end.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

YES Bob!!! - I was wondering when some other Pittsburgher type would put that one out there.. I left it out of my previous posts because it is so totally nonphonetically correct that I just couldn't admit even to myself that we talk like that here. HAHAHAHA


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

B! B! B!

Now… how about Me-thane or MEEE-Thane. You know that Flammable gas that Cows and People blow out their Anus. Despite your best attempt at trying to contract your Sphinctor Muscle and prevent it from happening at the Dinner Table.

HINT: Do it anyway, then look at the person sitting next to you and proclaim loudly. My God man! Have you no shame?

Then there's Left--tenant and Lu--tenant. Hood, Trunk or Bonnet ..OOPS wrong stuff. We've already dealt with Mantle or Mantel. How about "Pre-Marital Interdigitation"? Na. To, Two, Too, Boring. Pair, Pare or Pear? Palete, palette,or pallet. Pastorale or postoral. Heroin or heroine. Callous or callus. Calendar or calander.

Hey! As long as you say it and I understand what you're saying. Wheel gut alog jist fien and i beet it tasts reel gud!

Karamel I'm talkin bout!! Yu Prevert!


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