Caramel or carmel – which form is correct?
Caramel or carmel? Contrary to what one might think, these are not two possible spellings of the same word but two distinct nouns. Words caramel and carmel carry different meanings and… different pronunciations.
Caramel or carmel? What does the word caramel mean?
The noun caramel refers to melted, burnt, heated with milk, butter, or cream sugar used to sweeten food. Its additional trait is a capability of changing the color of the foodstuff into brown.
Caramel or carmel? What does the word Carmel mean?
Carmel on the other hand, provided that written with the capital ‘c’, represents a proper noun. Carmel is the name of the cities and municipalities in the United States of America, e.g. Carmel in the state of Indiana, Carmel Town in Michigan or Carmel-by-the-Sea in California.
How should the word caramel be pronounced?
The existence of many variants of pronunciation in English – mainly British and American, may contribute to the frequency of the spelling error of the word caramel. The most common pronunciation is American – /ˈkɑːr.məl/, where the sound /r/ is followed immediately by /m/. Meanwhile, the British pronunciation /ˈkær.ə.məl/, which is more faithful to the spelling, contains a famous English sound /ə/ between /r/ and /m/. That gives rise to the formation of yet another syllable.
How should the word Carmel be pronounced?
In this case it’s easy-peasy! The only way to pronounce the proper noun Carmel is /ˈkɑːr.məl/.
Examples of caramel in sentences
- I’d like to order a caramel latte topped with some cocoa powder, please.
- I will bring you those shoes in another color because their caramel color clashes with the green pants you’re wearing.
Examples of Carmel in sentences
- It’s a long road ahead of us since your grandma lives in Carmel, New York.
- Carmel-by-the-Sea is inhabited by less than 4 thousand people.
