# Carmel

/ˈkɑɹməɫ/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/carmel
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a sweet, brown food made by heating sugar. It is often used to flavor candy, ice cream, or coffee.

For teachers: a light-to-dark-orange confectionery product made by heating a variety of sugars. Often used as a flavoring or a chewy candy.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I love carmel popcorn" but "I love caramel popcorn" — While 'carmel' is a common pronunciation in North America, the standard spelling for the food is 'caramel'.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to individual pieces of candy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.