Car(a)mel

It came up in conversation. Two syllables, or three? Edwin L. Battistella considers the difference.

I say the word with three syllables, using Merriam-Webster’s sad leftover pronunciation bits: /ˈka-rə-mel/. Those bits don’t even get an audio recording of their own at M-W. But if I were speaking of caramel-coated popcorn, something I never get to speak of these days, I’d say /ˈkär-məl/.

[Yes, there are plenty of more important things to talk about right now. And I do. But I’m wanting to post other things these days.]