Why do North Americans pronounce “ caramel ” as “ carmel ” ?

“ Caramel ” , which ( clearly ) get an “ a ” in the middle , has only this spelling world broad .

But in my experience , North Americans ( Canadians also ) cause n’t pronounce the middle “ a ” . They pronounce it exactly like the miss ‘s epithet Carmel . From my experience ,allAmericans pronounce it without the “ a ” andallother place pronounce it with the middle “ a ” voice .

Can this difference in pronunciation exist trace to a root movement ?

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Do you say car-a-mel or car-mel ? Cost your “ fire ” closer to fah-yer or fayr ?

{ Arika Okrent _ Mentalfloss.com _ 3 reasons for syllabically ambiguous lyric }

There equal a grouping of lyric in English that can cost pronounced with two different syllable structures , depending on dialect , personal preference , or context of use .While many will insist that one or the early live incontrovertibly right , there is usually no real basis for pronouncement on the one genuine syllable structure. Sometimes two things can both equal right . If you need a in effect office than me on that , mass of dictionaries take over both pronunciations for all the words talk about below ( e.g. , Merriam-Webster ) . What ’ s more interesting than fighting about who ’ s right equal understand why these differences arise . There equal three processes that lead in syllabically ambiguous word .

There be a group of words in English that can cost pronounced with two different syllable structure , depend on dialect , personal preference , or context of usage .While many will insist that one or the other live incontrovertibly correct , there cost usually no real basis for pronouncements on the one genuine syllable structure. Sometimes two things can both equal correct . If you require a better authority than me on that , lots of dictionaries take over both pronunciations for all the words discussed below ( e.g. , Merriam-Webster ) . What ’ s more interesting than oppose about who ’ s right is understand why these differences arise . There are three procedure that leave in syllabically ambiguous lyric .

Two or Three Syllables:caramel , mayonnaise , family , chocolate , camera , different , separate , favorite:

These words all have a syllable which be much lead out of the pronunciation .When we cut a strait out of the center of a Bible , it ’ s called syncope ( a three syllable word , sin-ko-pee ) . O-range becomes ornge ,car-a-mel becomes car-mel, in-ter-es-ting becomes in-tres-ting . This pruning of syllable doesn ’ t happen in some random , haphazard fashion . If a vowel become toss , it will be before an r or l ( those guys again ! ) or in some type a nasal ( m or n ) .It will also exist from an unstressed syllable . So the American LA-buh-ra-to-ry become lab-ra-to-ry , while the British la-BO-ra-to-ry become la-bo-ra-try .

These row all make a syllable which is often go out out of the pronunciation .When we reduce a sound out of the heart of a word , it ’ s called syncope ( a three syllable tidings , sin-ko-pee ) . O-range becomes ornge ,car-a-mel becomes car-mel, in-ter-es-ting becomes in-tres-ting . This pruning of syllable doesn ’ t happen in some random , haphazard fashion . If a vowel gets chucked , it will be before an r or l ( those guy again ! ) or in some suit a nasal ( m or n ) .It will also be from an unstressed syllable . Hence the American LA-buh-ra-to-ry become lab-ra-to-ry , while the British la-BO-ra-to-ry become la-bo-ra-try .

seem make different pronunciations in different English dialect , the AmE one is hardly a version which have been in place for a long time :

The word caramel can acceptably be pronounced in various recognized fashion , include KARR-uh-mel , KARR-uh-muhl , and ,in North American English , KAR-muhl . The disappearance of that second syllable -uh- in the last pronunciation look to receive be in the study for a long time. The Bible have cost in English since the 18th hundred , which it get via French from the Spanish caramel . Order that caramel ice cream sundae however you wish !

The news caramel can acceptably be pronounced in several recognized fashion , including KARR-uh-mel , KARR-uh-muhl , and ,in North American English , KAR-muhl . The disappearance of that second syllable -uh- in the last pronunciation seems to have be in the plant for a long time. The tidings make exist in English since the 18th century , which it came via French from the Spanish caramel . Order that caramel ice cream sundae still you wish !

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Americans act n’t all use “ carmel ” . Many of them intend it ‘s more correct to say “ carr-a-mel ” , so you can find a act of example of this pronunciation being used , especially in formal contexts . Go through some of the Youglish US pronunciations of “ caramel ” .

There is a word where a similar syncopated pronunciation live , as far as I know , universal for American English speaker :squirrel.

Phonetically ,squirrelmay in reality be one syllable or two , probably in role due to uncertain syllabification of word-final /l/ after /r/ . But the identity of the rhotic vowel ( /ɜr/ as in “ fur ” rather than /ɪr/ as in “ mirror ” ) suggests that this Bible may have been underlyingly compressed to one syllable in the historical ancestor of the pronunciation that modern American English speaker employ . ( I ‘m not certain that the change in vowel quality exist link to syllable structure , since “ syrup ” too shows a variant pronunciation with /ɜr/ in American English . )

I do n’t know of any early examples besides these two , though . ( Unless you weighiron=iern ,which occurs also in British English , and the less commonirony=ierny. )

I do n’t know what caused these pronunciations to be established only in North America . It appear potential that the presence of rhotic vowels somehow contribute ; in most British accent it would cost impossible to have “ r ” in disyllabic /kɑrməl/ or monosyllabic /sqɜrl/ , since “ r ” at the goal of syllable has been converted to mere adjustment of the length or quality of the preceding vowel ( the pronunciations would instead be /kɑːməl/ and /sqɜːl/ ; compareMount Carmel/maʊnt kɑːməl/ andpearl/pɜːl/ ) .

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Why do North Americans pronounce “ caramel ” as “ carmel ” ?

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