Caramel

I've always wondered about the pronunciation of this word. It just puzzles me when people say [kAr\m@l]. I've always said it in three syllables: [K{r\@mel].

I pronounce it [ˈkʰæɹəmɫ̩]. Note that maintaining the first syllable as [æ] (or [ɛɚ]) doesn't mean that you necessarily pronounce the last syllable with [ɛ].

I guess the pronunciation with [ɑɚ] originated with a reduction of the schwa (a pretty common process), leading [æ.ɹ] to collapse into [ɑɚ.].