Carmel vs. Caramel – How to Use Each Correctly

/ September 24, 2019/ Usage

What’s the Difference Between Carmel and Caramel?

Carmel and caramel can be homophones, depending on regional and individual variations in accents and pronunciation. However, their definitions have no overlap whatsoever.

Carmel is a proper noun that can refer to Mount Carmel, which is a mountain range in Israel, or Carmel-by-the-Sea, which is a town in California. There is also a town named Carmel in Indiana, and Carmel can also be a feminine given name.

• Carmel-by-the-Sea is a popular haven for the artistic community in California.

Caramel is a type of candy made from sugar, which is brown in color.

• My grandmother always had caramel candy in her purse, which she offered to me at every opportunity.

Let’s look at some further details about these two words in order to help you avoid making any errors.

Using Carmel in a Sentence

When to use Carmel: Carmel only appears as a proper noun, so you will only need to use it as part of the name for the following places: Mount Carmel, a mountain range in Israel; Carmel-by-the-Sea, a city in California; or Carmel, a town in Indiana. It also appears in some other proper nouns, such as names of cemeteries referencing Mount Carmel. It can also be a name for a girl or woman.

For example,

• The man had told others at his synagogue that he wished to be buried at Mount Carmel cemetery.
• The new parents decided on the name Carmel for their baby girl.

Carmel comes from the Hebrew word meaning garden or fertile land. Therefore, it has religious significance in Judaism.

Using Caramel in a Sentence

When to use caramel: Caramel is a noun that means a type of sugar candy. It can appear in liquid form, which often is drizzled over ice cream, or solid form, which usually appears in small blocks and is either hard or chewy. It is brown in color and very sweet. Occasionally, caramel can refer to a tan or brown color of any object.

For example,

• These brownies have chocolate chips as well as caramel.
• This caramel isn’t vegan because it also includes sugar and milk.
• I bought some caramel boots to go with my green dress. (color)

Caramel has two common pronunciations. One of these has three syllables, in which the middle vowel a is pronounced. The other pronunciation has only two syllables, in which the middle vowel a is dropped. It is this second pronunciation which produces the homophone to Carmel. Which pronunciation a person uses is based on regional differences in accents or individual preference.

Remembering Carmel vs. Caramel

Depending on your pronunciation of caramel, it may be easier or harder to remember to spell this word with an a in the middle of the word. However, regardless of your pronunciation, you can use the spelling of Carmel and caramel to remember the definition for each.

Carmel has six letters, just like the word garden. Of those six letters, the two vowels a and e appear in the same place for each word. This can help you remember that Carmel comes from the Hebrew word meaning garden. It can also help you remember that Carmel now is a proper noun used as a female name or the names of places such as multiples cities, as well as a mountain range in Israel.

Caramel ends in the letters amel, just like the word camel. This can help you remember that caramel can refer to a brown or yellowish color, like the color of a camel.

Also, the extra a in caramel can remind you of the article a. It is possible to have a caramel candy, but not a Carmel, because Carmel is a proper noun.

Outside Examples

• Rabbi Joshua Bolton of the University of Pennsylvania’s Hillel center surveys damaged headstones at Mount Carmel Cemetery on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, in Philadelphia. More than 100 headstones have been vandalized at the Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, damage discovered less than a week after similar vandalism in Missouri, authorities said. –Denver Post
• Father Miguel Rodriguez pays homage to an image of Junipero Serra during Mass at the Carmel Mission, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif. –OC Register
• Aramark’s Description: New England roll French toast with Big Fork maple bacon sausage, spiced apple compote, toasted pecans, sharp cheddar cheese and caramel-maple syrup. –Chicago Sun Times
• This recipe calls for simmering sweetened condensed milk in the can to make a rich caramel. –Wall Street Journal

Quiz: Carmel vs. Caramel

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct word, carmel vs. caramel, in the correct form.

• Many desserts include _______________ in the ingredients.
• Many Israelis have visited Mount _______________.
• I hate eating ______________ because they are too sweet.

See answers below.

Article Summary

Should I use Carmel or caramel? Despite the similar spellings, and the fact that these words can be homophones, one of these words is a proper noun and the other is a type of sweet food.

• Carmel is a proper noun that can either be a feminine name of the name of a place, such as a town. It is especially common in places related to Israel or Judaism.
• Caramel is a sweet food that can be a candy or ingredient in a dessert. It can also refer to a tan color.

Be aware of which meaning you wish to convey so that you can choose the appropriate word and spelling.

Answers

• caramel
• Carmel
• caramels