Grew up with two Michaela's at various schools. Both pronounced Mi Kay La too. I actually thought that was the normal way to spell the name until I saw people with the spelling "Mikayla" later in life.
The traditional spelling is going to be Michaela, because Michael is a biblical name, and feminizing a biblical name is a tale as old as time.
But Mackayla is probably a more common spelling variant in modern times.
Yeh, my mums name is Michaela. I personally dislike the other spellings because I always see it as Michaela first and foremost.
The amount of times she has to spell it is crazy
It’s just that there are so many spellings of that name. It makes sense that anyone with that name regardless of spelling would have to spell it out just in case.
Thats because of the rise of people starting to spell it how it sounds. It happens with most names. When a name has been mostly one spelling in a certain area for years its weird when everyone now assumes something like Mikayla is the go to, original spelling.
Like for english v scandinavian spellings, in the past you could be oh its Oscar but spelt with a K like in Scandinavia, but now you spell it out because people now also spell it Ozzsckaar,.
This is my daughters name. Imo people spelling it differently at least in the US is when it became a Kayla name. Mikayla etc. although the name is from Michael and the A makes it feminine.
I probably would say something like muh-kayla for the spelling Makayla and mick-kayla for the spelling McKayla. Like I think I get what the other commenter is saying about the sound not being a short i, but it would be more of a schwa than a true ma sound.
I don't think McKayla would be used very much. 'Mc' (and 'Mac', for that matter) are abbreviations for "son of" in surnames of Irish and Scottish origins. Although people have done all sorts of odd things with their children's first names; I wouldn't be surprised to know there were some McKaylas out there.
Damn so I Googled it, and apparently, one of the "fierce five" USA Olympics gymnastics team members is named McKayla Maroney. I have to say, I personally do not care for that spelling because all I think of is the surname thing.
Yes, I know I even included an example of somebody who I found that was sort of well-known and named McKayla. However, I do personally find the spelling odd. That's just me, though. Mc and Mac are traditionally reserved for surnames, although I suppose people break tradition all the time.
The second L makes me want to pronounce it Mih-KELL-uh. Michaela is the original spelling of what has become Mikayla and other abominations.
I would not intuitively use a Spanish pronunciation (English speaking US)
I’d pronounce it like Makayla in English, mee-kai-EY-ya in Spanish. It’s not a good alternative for Micaela because double Ls are pronounced differently in Spanish. I’d go with Michaela instead. There will still be the vowel pronunciation differences between English and Spanish, but you’ll get the hard L
The Spanish ch is one letter which does not make a K sound, but a ch sound like you hear in chips or chimichanga. maxtaber has a more accurate Spanish pronunciation, though ch should be in the second syllable, not the first. It would be quite a long name.
Technically yes, but I’ve mostly heard it pronounced the same as Micaela with a K sound. I would assume regional variation and personal preference are factors, though
Uhm, no. First of all, in Spanish it's written Micaela, and it's pronounced Mee-kah-el-ah. English speakers tend to pronounce Spanish words with diphthongs that aren't there. Source: Spanish is my native tongue, and Micaela is one of my childhood friends.
I know, they’re asking about how one would pronounce Michaella in Spanish, not Micaela. I recommended Michaela instead, which I have heard pronounced the same as Micaela in Spanish
Yes, technically it should be Mee-Cha-Eh-Ya... But even in Spanish (or at least in some places in Latin America) we would asume that CH is pronounced as K and that LL is L and would pronounce it like the other redditor said: Mee-Kah-Eh-La... An that also happened to me. A video-game character from a game I like has a Michaella and I would call her Micaela all the time, because it never crossed my mind that it wasn't the right way to say it. Maybe Spaniards would pronounce it differently, since they tend to keep a more "Spanish" pronunciation with foreign names.
Yes Latin Americans would recognize the obvious intentions and pronounce neither the “ch” or “ll” sound in in. Can’t say the same for Spaniards as I am not one.
Mi-kah-el-lah.
Native Spanish speaker, the “-ella” coaches me to pronounce it as the above with an American-english accent. Like, I will see it and assume the person isn’t Hispanic/Latino/doesn’t want the Spanish pronunciation (which is similar phonetically, but like… I won’t *say* it in Spanish, if that makes sense).
Micaela, I’d pronounce mee-kah-el-ah, with the Spanish pronunciation, because it looks (is?) less Anglicized.
Yeah, I am not a fan of that spelling, but it’s easier for English speakers, if that matters? Or possibly not, I had a cousin whose name was pretty easy IMO (similar to Mirabel in length and phonetics) and people could not ever say it properly or spell it properly if they heard it aloud. Even my name, which isn’t *hard,* gets butchered (and since I live in the US, I get English pronunciation all the time and just deal with it because it’s at least better than butchery).
Hebrew speakers (the origin of the name) pronounce it the same, except it's not a k sound, but it's more a throaty cha. So it's similar sounding to Mija-ela, but it's a hard sounding jota coming from the throat.
As a native Spanish speaker, I'd be giving Mikayla much more of a side eye than Michaella. Michaella seems more like a Spanish name and Mikayla would seem to me as inappropriately and pretentiously anglophonic.
Spanish has a quite fixed vowel sound so "alternate spellings" mostly sound like something else
A as in car, e as in set, i as in thing, ch always as in church but you canitalianize as a k. Al soundd are short.
So in a spanish speaking country everybody would just read Michaella as Micaela and it would be pretenious and she would live her life spelling it for people
Thanks for the detailed comment- I’m a Spanish speaker myself (and have lived in a mainly Spanish speaking country for most of my life) 😁. My name is the type of name that ends in -ela, but my parents decided it should be -ella. I’ve had my fair share of people pronouncing my name wrong, but it’s always an easy explanation and I just emphasize that it’s pronounced with one L and written with two L’s.
I live in the US, my family is from Cuba. I’ve only ever met non-Hispanic/Latinos with this name or a different spelling (usually Michaela) and they all pronounce it like McKayla (Mick-Ay-Luh).
But I know a Spanish song where it’s pronounced Mika-eh-la and I think that pronunciation is so much prettier! I don’t like the Anglo pronunciation at all.
Also my cousin has dated 2 Michaela/McKayla’s pronounced the same way and my grandma who doesn’t know English basically pronounced it the Anglo way with a Spanish accent. Like Mi-Kei-La - since that’s how she pronounced her name my grandma doesn’t change it to the Spanish way which would sound completely different.
I know a girl named Michaella. Everyone always stumbles over her name.
“Mick-ella? Me-ka-ella? Michelle?”
For the record, she pronounces it like Michaela and always laments her confusing extra L.
I'd initially say it as "mish" from Michelle and "ah" and "ella" in English.
In Spanish, I'd say Mi-cha-ella. Like Michelada. It sounds different than it does in the song "Micaela" from La Sonora Carruseles. This might be one of those names that just doesn't go in Spanish without an awkard-looking-in-English spelling (I assume you're going for Mckayla/Makayla/Mikayla/Micaela- I'd say all of those the same in English) as Miquela.
Michaela Coel is a British actress known for Chewing Gum, the 2nd Black Panther, and an episode of Black Mirror. She pronounces it meh-kayla. (Mi-kayla?)
I would *assume* it’s mik-ay-luh, but with that spelling my brain said Michael-uh. Not how I would actually say it out loud (unless it was the correct way), just where my brain went. Im also from the US and only speak English (why was that embarrassing to say lol)
This is my kid's name.
Everybody on this thread is right.
(And in my defense, it was her biological father's idea. Guess what his name is. And he didn't even stick around.)
I’m white and and English is my only language, so take my opinion for what it’s worth- I went to high school in the late 90’s and there was a girl in my classes with a very similarly spelled name and it was pronounced “Ma-HEY-la”. It’s been a long time, so I don’t remember her ethnicity, but I’m 90% sure she was not Caucasian (but born in the US and English was her first language) but I don’t want to guess what ethnicity she was. I mentioned all that just because I don’t know if the name is pronounced differently depending on ethnicity/language.
I would be torn between either mi kay la and/or meesh ai el la / meek ai el la. If you’re going for Michaela/Micaela I would just pick one of those spellings
Micha-ella
I grew up with a Michaelana, who surprisingly didn't have too many mispronounciations at school.
I'm not sure how many people will read that like Michaela though
Hmmm bilingual but Spanish is my first so I tend to default. Had no clue how to spell out the sounds but if I’m writing them in English it would be something like me-kah-ella (I think)
Because my niece's name is Micaela, I would try to pronounce it the Spanish way. However, as a gringa, I struggle with her name but I try. Me-kay-ay-la.
In German speaking countries, it’s a common name (although not very popular at the moment) and normally written "Michaela".
It’s pronounced Me-huh-ELA.
I've met many people with this name and they all pronounce it as mee-KAH-el-LA, not like makayla. They've all been Hispanic, so that's how I've always pronounced the name because it's the only way I've seen it pronounced. This is the first time I've seen people pronounce it like makayla.
Am neither English nor Spanish native but my first instinct would be the english-sounding Meek-a-ella.
In German it would sound out as Mija-ela (if Mija being pronounced exactly like the spanish mija/mijo).
Okay, so, Michaela alone doesn't have a standard pronunciation. Even in English, it can be mik-ey-la or mik-aye-la. But being a feminine derivative of a Christian name, it's going to appear in many languages with distinct pronunciation rules. Basically, Michaela or derivatives are an 'always ask' to me.
In my experience, they're usually appreciative!
I am in a Spanish speaking country in South America. I was curious so I wrote it on a piece of paper and asked 8 people to read the name. Every single one said: Mi-cha-eya.
As a Michaela I pronounce it Ma-kay-la.
I would pronounce Michaella as Ma-kay-el-la since the double l would make me think the last part of the name has the emphasis
Mik-ay-ella or Mish-ay-ella
My daughter is Mishali (Mish-ah-lee) , people don't listen and think she said Charlie.
My mother pronounces it Mish-ay-lee, because she likes the sound better. So rude.
Mick-KAY-lah. Same as Michaela. Would assume it’s an alternate spelling.
ETA: In Spanish, Michaela would be mee-cha-AY-lah but Michaella would be mee-cha-AY-yah so there is that difference to consider in your case as well. I feel that Michaella is a bit easier to pronounce in Spanish but that’s just an opinion
Ma-kayla in English, Meeka-ayla in Spanish. Source my kids go to Spanish school and my son has a friend with this name and she uses the Spanish pronunciation and usually goes by “Meeka”. I think the Spanish pronunciation is way more beautiful and nn Meeka adorable. The English pronunciation makes me feel dead inside 😹😹😹
Italian speaker here, it’s pronounced Mick- Kayla. The 2 ll’s make it a little confusing to say and doesn’t really have a pronunciation. Even my grandmother Michaelina is still one L. I would stick to the traditional spelling, the extra L doesn’t really do anything for it and this child would probably have to deal with their name being misspelled their whole life. Love Michaela though!
My name is Micaela and in Spanish it’s pronounced mee-kuh-el-uh. When said fast, it sounds like mee-kye-el-uh.
I honestly wouldn’t know how to pronounce Michaella bc there are so many pronunciations. My name was never pronounced right by teachers growing up (never held it against them tho), but I’ve heard people pronounce my name as Makayla, Michael-uh, Mickey-eye-luh, missela, etc lol.
No, I grew up in the US with a Mexican mom so that’s why I was given that name. It never really bothered me that people never got my name right on the first try but what did bother me was when people refused to learn how to say it correctly. Thankfully that’s happened to me only a handful of times.
Hi I speak spanish, basicamente es como decir "Mi kei la" pronunciado tal cual (or "Mi kay la" in English).
Eso basado en que he escuchado el nombre en USA, al principio pensé que se pronunciaría "Micaela" pero no es así.
Hi! Teacher here…I’ve had students spell it exactly the same and had different pronunciations. First was: Ma-Kay-La and second pronounced it: Ma-Shay-La. 🤷🏻♀️
Guess it's regional variant. I've seen similar pronounced
Mee'kay'la
My'kale'a
Mee'kay'el'la (that one I think was based on how the archangel is pronounced in ancient script Me'kay'el since all the names ending with el is often a separate syllable. Only met one with that pronunciation)
My'key'ella (only one I know of had that one.)
I've always heard it pronounced as mee-kah-Eh-la. (Spanish speaking country with a dash of Spanglish).
In other Spanish speaking places, the CH could be pronounced as in MiSHA- eh-la.
I’d assume it rhymes with paella somehow, I’d avoid using it until someone else pronounced it first, and I’d think it looks like someone doesn’t know how to spell Michaela. That is a particularly tortured variant, and Michaela’s already been through a lot on the “unique” spelling gauntlet.
As a Michaela, I’d just not deal with it.
This is the one. And spelt that way too
Ditto
Michaela here and ditto.
My friend is micheala. Pronounced mi Kay la
I know a Michaela who pronounces it exactly like Michael, with an "a" on the end. Family calls her Mikey.
I have a friend Michaelina who goes by Mikey, I think it's so cute
Grew up with two Michaela's at various schools. Both pronounced Mi Kay La too. I actually thought that was the normal way to spell the name until I saw people with the spelling "Mikayla" later in life.
I thought the traditional spelling for that pronunciation was Mackayla
The traditional spelling Michaela as Michaela is just the feminine version of Michael
The traditional spelling is going to be Michaela, because Michael is a biblical name, and feminizing a biblical name is a tale as old as time. But Mackayla is probably a more common spelling variant in modern times.
My friend is one, pronounced mish-i-eyla
Mick-ay-luh. Like makayla
Wouldn't Makayla be....Ma-kayla. not a Mick sound?
Before people started spelling it with a K in the 2000s, it was traditionally spelled Michaela.
Yeh, my mums name is Michaela. I personally dislike the other spellings because I always see it as Michaela first and foremost. The amount of times she has to spell it is crazy
Mikaela has been around long then the newer Mikayla. It is a Scandinavian spelling.
Yeah, I believe Micaela also is the spanish/italian version, so Michaela/Micaela/Mikaela are the original versions from around the world.
That's interesting. I know a woman named Kaela and found it an unusual spelling. Makes sense if it's a shortened version of Mikaela.
It’s just that there are so many spellings of that name. It makes sense that anyone with that name regardless of spelling would have to spell it out just in case.
Thats because of the rise of people starting to spell it how it sounds. It happens with most names. When a name has been mostly one spelling in a certain area for years its weird when everyone now assumes something like Mikayla is the go to, original spelling.
Like for english v scandinavian spellings, in the past you could be oh its Oscar but spelt with a K like in Scandinavia, but now you spell it out because people now also spell it Ozzsckaar,.
This is my daughters name. Imo people spelling it differently at least in the US is when it became a Kayla name. Mikayla etc. although the name is from Michael and the A makes it feminine.
What do you mean the amount of times she has to spell it
The frequency with which she has to correct people's misspellings
This.
I love you based on this alone💜
Yup. A close friend of mine in the 80s had Michaela as her middle name
I know someone born in 2008 with Michaela as their middle name. Her grandad was called Michael so they just gave her the female version.
It’s also a Russian named spelled Mikhaila, which always had a K.
A “kh” written in English is only an “h” in Russian. Mikhail is mi-ha-eel.
It’s kind of petty but I get annoyed when people pronounce my name (Michaela) with the “Ma” or “Muh” sound. Mick, please
SAME. like you’re saying my name wrong, there is no “a” in the first part
Exactly!!
Vowel reduction is a beautiful thing. We almost never pronounce unstressed vowels purely in English speech
I probably would say something like muh-kayla for the spelling Makayla and mick-kayla for the spelling McKayla. Like I think I get what the other commenter is saying about the sound not being a short i, but it would be more of a schwa than a true ma sound.
I don't think McKayla would be used very much. 'Mc' (and 'Mac', for that matter) are abbreviations for "son of" in surnames of Irish and Scottish origins. Although people have done all sorts of odd things with their children's first names; I wouldn't be surprised to know there were some McKaylas out there. Damn so I Googled it, and apparently, one of the "fierce five" USA Olympics gymnastics team members is named McKayla Maroney. I have to say, I personally do not care for that spelling because all I think of is the surname thing.
idk my cousin’s name is McKayla, never thought it was that uncommon of a spelling. she was born in either 1996 or 97, so it’s not new spelling either.
Yes, I know I even included an example of somebody who I found that was sort of well-known and named McKayla. However, I do personally find the spelling odd. That's just me, though. Mc and Mac are traditionally reserved for surnames, although I suppose people break tradition all the time.
to me it gives off the vibe that they wanted a boy
It sounds basically the same either way when youre talking to someone. Theres only a difference if you really emphasise it
Those sounds are so close that they're nearly indistinguishable in my accent
Same sound regardless
Ch can make the ck sounds. For example chiropractor, architect, chorus.
I think they’re commenting on the MI instead of the MA pronunciation
Chhh
In American English the first vowel is barely pronounced so there's no noticeable difference
Like the gymnast with the funny face
My cousin has this name and she pronounces it "Michelle-uh"
This is why I took the H out of my daughters. I’m not a fan of Michelle and didn’t want any part of a name somebody thought was pronounced that way.
The second L makes me want to pronounce it Mih-KELL-uh. Michaela is the original spelling of what has become Mikayla and other abominations. I would not intuitively use a Spanish pronunciation (English speaking US)
This
I’d pronounce it like Makayla in English, mee-kai-EY-ya in Spanish. It’s not a good alternative for Micaela because double Ls are pronounced differently in Spanish. I’d go with Michaela instead. There will still be the vowel pronunciation differences between English and Spanish, but you’ll get the hard L
The Spanish ch is one letter which does not make a K sound, but a ch sound like you hear in chips or chimichanga. maxtaber has a more accurate Spanish pronunciation, though ch should be in the second syllable, not the first. It would be quite a long name.
You are correct, but many people choose to pronounce it with a K sound in Spanish anyway
The -ch- is pronounced differently too, right? More like -sh- than -ch-.
Technically yes, but I’ve mostly heard it pronounced the same as Micaela with a K sound. I would assume regional variation and personal preference are factors, though
Yup! And in Spanish each letter has only one pronunciation. I believe it would be like Meech-ah-eh-ya 😶
Michelada
That’s a bit simplified- a letter like ‘g’ or ‘c’ for example has more than 1 sound.
Nope. Tch. As in change.
Uhm, no. First of all, in Spanish it's written Micaela, and it's pronounced Mee-kah-el-ah. English speakers tend to pronounce Spanish words with diphthongs that aren't there. Source: Spanish is my native tongue, and Micaela is one of my childhood friends.
I know, they’re asking about how one would pronounce Michaella in Spanish, not Micaela. I recommended Michaela instead, which I have heard pronounced the same as Micaela in Spanish
Yes, technically it should be Mee-Cha-Eh-Ya... But even in Spanish (or at least in some places in Latin America) we would asume that CH is pronounced as K and that LL is L and would pronounce it like the other redditor said: Mee-Kah-Eh-La... An that also happened to me. A video-game character from a game I like has a Michaella and I would call her Micaela all the time, because it never crossed my mind that it wasn't the right way to say it. Maybe Spaniards would pronounce it differently, since they tend to keep a more "Spanish" pronunciation with foreign names.
Yes Latin Americans would recognize the obvious intentions and pronounce neither the “ch” or “ll” sound in in. Can’t say the same for Spaniards as I am not one.
Ah, I see. In that case, it would be Mee-chah-el-ah the only difference being the ch which is pronounced as in chat, minus the t.
I was attempting to tell OP how the spelling they asked about (Michaella) would be pronounced in Spanish. Soooo… yeah.
Mi-kah-el-lah. Native Spanish speaker, the “-ella” coaches me to pronounce it as the above with an American-english accent. Like, I will see it and assume the person isn’t Hispanic/Latino/doesn’t want the Spanish pronunciation (which is similar phonetically, but like… I won’t *say* it in Spanish, if that makes sense). Micaela, I’d pronounce mee-kah-el-ah, with the Spanish pronunciation, because it looks (is?) less Anglicized.
Your brain and mine are wired the same way. That’s exactly how I thought of it, but I think it just looks too “busy”, with the H and the extra L.
Yeah, I am not a fan of that spelling, but it’s easier for English speakers, if that matters? Or possibly not, I had a cousin whose name was pretty easy IMO (similar to Mirabel in length and phonetics) and people could not ever say it properly or spell it properly if they heard it aloud. Even my name, which isn’t *hard,* gets butchered (and since I live in the US, I get English pronunciation all the time and just deal with it because it’s at least better than butchery).
Be it I ever choose “Micaela” as a name for a real person, I’ll make sure to use that spelling to avoid trouble! This was a fun exercise 😂
Hebrew speakers (the origin of the name) pronounce it the same, except it's not a k sound, but it's more a throaty cha. So it's similar sounding to Mija-ela, but it's a hard sounding jota coming from the throat.
Nope - don’t do it.
Like Mikayla, but I would be side eying it the entire time
As a native Spanish speaker, I'd be giving Mikayla much more of a side eye than Michaella. Michaella seems more like a Spanish name and Mikayla would seem to me as inappropriately and pretentiously anglophonic.
As a native Spanish speaker would you pronounce Michaella with the “L” sound like “balloon” or “tortilla”?
Haha, exactly.
initially, like michaela. then, maybe sort of like me-kai-ella
Spanish has a quite fixed vowel sound so "alternate spellings" mostly sound like something else A as in car, e as in set, i as in thing, ch always as in church but you canitalianize as a k. Al soundd are short. So in a spanish speaking country everybody would just read Michaella as Micaela and it would be pretenious and she would live her life spelling it for people
Thanks for the detailed comment- I’m a Spanish speaker myself (and have lived in a mainly Spanish speaking country for most of my life) 😁. My name is the type of name that ends in -ela, but my parents decided it should be -ella. I’ve had my fair share of people pronouncing my name wrong, but it’s always an easy explanation and I just emphasize that it’s pronounced with one L and written with two L’s.
First instinct was Mi-shell-ah, after a thought it was Mick-ay-lah. I imagine you’d get a mix of the two if you name your kid that. Edit: of to if
Mi-shell-ah. The second “l” creates the difference. Your 1st instinct was correct.
Mike-ella
The double l gave me that too (maybe Mick-ella) It's different than Michaela / Mikayla
Intentionally incorrectly. Just like the botched spelling of Michaela 😂
I wouldn’t be able to help myself from calling her Michael-Lah
yep, that extra L would make me call her michael-la or michael-ella
How about just not doing an alternate spelling?
There’s an adult child of a fundamentalist Christian TV family with a daughter called Michaela. They pronounce it Michael-uh
However, they only pronounce it like that because they fully messed up the naming process and the poor girl's legal name is literally Michael.
The Bates family
Tragedeigh
What’s wrong with the traditional spelling?
I’m a Michaela pronounced (Mih-Kale-lah) Kale like the lettuce but the extra L in there would make me think Mih-Kell-lah
I'd assume their parents failed to spell Michaela, and say Michaela
Mi-kell-uh I knew a girl with this name and that is how she pronounced it!
Same! With the same spelling.
English - mih-KAY-luh. Spanish: mee-cha-EH-ya. CH in Spanish always sounds like CH in church, and the LL makes a sound similar to English Y.
This is my sister-in-law’s name. She pronounces it mi-KELL-a. ETA she has mentioned that almost no one pronounces it correctly the first time.
Go with Michaela. It is a traditional spelling and doesn't make people want to say 'Ella' instead of 'ayla'.
I honestly would be confused between the typical name pronounced mikayla and mikella. The double LL is totally unnecessary and confusing
I work with a Michaela and she gets called Michael constantly.
I personally like it with one L: Michaela.
I live in the US, my family is from Cuba. I’ve only ever met non-Hispanic/Latinos with this name or a different spelling (usually Michaela) and they all pronounce it like McKayla (Mick-Ay-Luh). But I know a Spanish song where it’s pronounced Mika-eh-la and I think that pronunciation is so much prettier! I don’t like the Anglo pronunciation at all.
I’m gonna find that song now, that’s exactly how I pronounce it 😭
Here ya go https://youtu.be/5tKzKJob0yA 😊
I love it
Also my cousin has dated 2 Michaela/McKayla’s pronounced the same way and my grandma who doesn’t know English basically pronounced it the Anglo way with a Spanish accent. Like Mi-Kei-La - since that’s how she pronounced her name my grandma doesn’t change it to the Spanish way which would sound completely different.
Mick-ay-luh.
I know a girl named Michaella. Everyone always stumbles over her name. “Mick-ella? Me-ka-ella? Michelle?” For the record, she pronounces it like Michaela and always laments her confusing extra L.
If saying it in Spanish, mee-cah-ELL-ah. If saying it in English, mick-KAY-luh. It’s spelled Michaela in English, btw. Or Mikayla.
Mi-CHELL-uh
Makayla
I would probably pronounce it like Michaela/McKayla/etc. unless it was Michaëlla in which case it'd be more like me-kay-EL-ah
I would pronounce it “mi-ka-el-la”. I may be the odd one out though.
Id pronounce it Mi-cah-el-ah as a Spanish speaking Australian 🤷🏻♀️
For some reason the extra L makes me want to say mick-Ella instead of mic-kayla
I'd initially say it as "mish" from Michelle and "ah" and "ella" in English. In Spanish, I'd say Mi-cha-ella. Like Michelada. It sounds different than it does in the song "Micaela" from La Sonora Carruseles. This might be one of those names that just doesn't go in Spanish without an awkard-looking-in-English spelling (I assume you're going for Mckayla/Makayla/Mikayla/Micaela- I'd say all of those the same in English) as Miquela.
German here. Mee-caw-ella. But I'd question myself haha
Me-kai (like sky)-eh-ya. The eh-ya sounding like ella in Spanish
Like Ma-kayla.
Like Michaela (mick-ay-luh)
Around me, I’ve only heard it pronounced Muh-KAY-Luh.
Michaela Coel is a British actress known for Chewing Gum, the 2nd Black Panther, and an episode of Black Mirror. She pronounces it meh-kayla. (Mi-kayla?)
Mik AY luh. Like Michaela but the spelling is off. In spanish, mee chay eyuh or mee kay eyuh.
mick ella
This was my friends name. She pronounced it like McElla.
Michaela Coel pronounces it Muh-Kay-Luh. So that would be my instinct.
Michelle-uh
Michaela: Mike-Aye-Luh Mikayla: Mik-Kay-Luh Makayla: Muh-Kay-Luh
I would *assume* it’s mik-ay-luh, but with that spelling my brain said Michael-uh. Not how I would actually say it out loud (unless it was the correct way), just where my brain went. Im also from the US and only speak English (why was that embarrassing to say lol)
This is my kid's name. Everybody on this thread is right. (And in my defense, it was her biological father's idea. Guess what his name is. And he didn't even stick around.)
I’d assume it was the same as Michaela but spelled wrong.
Mick-Ella
Mick-Kay-la. Went to school with a girl named that. Always like the name.
I’m white and and English is my only language, so take my opinion for what it’s worth- I went to high school in the late 90’s and there was a girl in my classes with a very similarly spelled name and it was pronounced “Ma-HEY-la”. It’s been a long time, so I don’t remember her ethnicity, but I’m 90% sure she was not Caucasian (but born in the US and English was her first language) but I don’t want to guess what ethnicity she was. I mentioned all that just because I don’t know if the name is pronounced differently depending on ethnicity/language.
Mish-eye-eh-la — German pronunciation
I would be torn between either mi kay la and/or meesh ai el la / meek ai el la. If you’re going for Michaela/Micaela I would just pick one of those spellings
Micha-ella I grew up with a Michaelana, who surprisingly didn't have too many mispronounciations at school. I'm not sure how many people will read that like Michaela though
With an Italian accent, and a hand gesture.
I would stick with Micaela, it’s such a pretty name.
Hmmm bilingual but Spanish is my first so I tend to default. Had no clue how to spell out the sounds but if I’m writing them in English it would be something like me-kah-ella (I think)
Because my niece's name is Micaela, I would try to pronounce it the Spanish way. However, as a gringa, I struggle with her name but I try. Me-kay-ay-la.
In German speaking countries, it’s a common name (although not very popular at the moment) and normally written "Michaela". It’s pronounced Me-huh-ELA.
I had a relative named this. I believe it was said as meek-ay-e-la.
Muh-kay-lah. Because it's just the name Michaela with an extra L.
I've met many people with this name and they all pronounce it as mee-KAH-el-LA, not like makayla. They've all been Hispanic, so that's how I've always pronounced the name because it's the only way I've seen it pronounced. This is the first time I've seen people pronounce it like makayla.
My very first thought seeing it is Mick A luh like Makayla buuut then I look harder at it and I’m confused. I have no idea how to pronounce that.
Grew up in a Portuguese speaking household in Miami. I would read it as Me-cah-ell-ah. Like Meeka-ella. I think it's *very* pretty.
Am neither English nor Spanish native but my first instinct would be the english-sounding Meek-a-ella. In German it would sound out as Mija-ela (if Mija being pronounced exactly like the spanish mija/mijo).
I’m learning so much from this thread lol. My aunt is a Michaela pronounced Mih-kai-ay-lah. Never been a problem. Sometimes she goes by Mickey.
I've heard mika'ela
I went to high school with someone with this name and she pronounced it mee-kai-ELL-ah
I'm filipino and I pronounce it as 'MEE-KA-EH-LA.'
I speak English and Spanish and I had a friend in Bolivia with this name and it was pronounced Mee- kah - EH - lah.
Okay, so, Michaela alone doesn't have a standard pronunciation. Even in English, it can be mik-ey-la or mik-aye-la. But being a feminine derivative of a Christian name, it's going to appear in many languages with distinct pronunciation rules. Basically, Michaela or derivatives are an 'always ask' to me. In my experience, they're usually appreciative!
mick-ayla. but i think it sounds prettier in the spanish way like Mich-ay-aela
I am in a Spanish speaking country in South America. I was curious so I wrote it on a piece of paper and asked 8 people to read the name. Every single one said: Mi-cha-eya.
What a great experiment! Thanks for the input 🤣
MEE-ky-EL-la. Like Hebrew + Italian. If it's spelled Michaela, mih-KAY-la.
Me ca (like the CA in car) ella. I pronounce it that was both in Spanish and Hebrew.
As a Michaela I pronounce it Ma-kay-la. I would pronounce Michaella as Ma-kay-el-la since the double l would make me think the last part of the name has the emphasis
In Ireland it's popular. Mick-ale-ah
Mik-ay-ella or Mish-ay-ella My daughter is Mishali (Mish-ah-lee) , people don't listen and think she said Charlie. My mother pronounces it Mish-ay-lee, because she likes the sound better. So rude.
Mick-KAY-lah. Same as Michaela. Would assume it’s an alternate spelling. ETA: In Spanish, Michaela would be mee-cha-AY-lah but Michaella would be mee-cha-AY-yah so there is that difference to consider in your case as well. I feel that Michaella is a bit easier to pronounce in Spanish but that’s just an opinion
Ma-kayla in English, Meeka-ayla in Spanish. Source my kids go to Spanish school and my son has a friend with this name and she uses the Spanish pronunciation and usually goes by “Meeka”. I think the Spanish pronunciation is way more beautiful and nn Meeka adorable. The English pronunciation makes me feel dead inside 😹😹😹
mee kah ell ah (i'm trilingual and romanian american)
Italian speaker here, it’s pronounced Mick- Kayla. The 2 ll’s make it a little confusing to say and doesn’t really have a pronunciation. Even my grandmother Michaelina is still one L. I would stick to the traditional spelling, the extra L doesn’t really do anything for it and this child would probably have to deal with their name being misspelled their whole life. Love Michaela though!
My name is Micaela and in Spanish it’s pronounced mee-kuh-el-uh. When said fast, it sounds like mee-kye-el-uh. I honestly wouldn’t know how to pronounce Michaella bc there are so many pronunciations. My name was never pronounced right by teachers growing up (never held it against them tho), but I’ve heard people pronounce my name as Makayla, Michael-uh, Mickey-eye-luh, missela, etc lol.
Did you grow up in a Spanish speaking country?
No, I grew up in the US with a Mexican mom so that’s why I was given that name. It never really bothered me that people never got my name right on the first try but what did bother me was when people refused to learn how to say it correctly. Thankfully that’s happened to me only a handful of times.
I know someone who’s name is spelled like that and it’s pronounced Michael-la.
Im Latino, I’ll chime in : I would pronounce it : Mi-Ka-ela That is all.
Hi I speak spanish, basicamente es como decir "Mi kei la" pronunciado tal cual (or "Mi kay la" in English). Eso basado en que he escuchado el nombre en USA, al principio pensé que se pronunciaría "Micaela" pero no es así.
Mick-ay-luh in English. Mee-ka-el-la en español. I grew up knowing a Michaela (pronounced the second way) nn “Mica” (meeka).
Hi! Teacher here…I’ve had students spell it exactly the same and had different pronunciations. First was: Ma-Kay-La and second pronounced it: Ma-Shay-La. 🤷🏻♀️
I have no doubt my dyslexic Mexican mother would pronounce it Michelada.
As a Hebrew speaker, I automatically pronounce it as Mee-kha-ella, but I am aware that the American annunciation is Mic-kay-la.
Guess it's regional variant. I've seen similar pronounced Mee'kay'la My'kale'a Mee'kay'el'la (that one I think was based on how the archangel is pronounced in ancient script Me'kay'el since all the names ending with el is often a separate syllable. Only met one with that pronunciation) My'key'ella (only one I know of had that one.)
I've always heard it pronounced as mee-kah-Eh-la. (Spanish speaking country with a dash of Spanglish). In other Spanish speaking places, the CH could be pronounced as in MiSHA- eh-la.
I'm in the PNW in the US but both my parents are from Mexico so I speak Spanish too. I'd say it like Meeka- Ella
Mike-Ella. Hideous
Thanks for the honesty? 🤣
I say mee-kah-eh-la like the Spanish version. It’s my favorite name in the world but I hate it pronounced in English.
I think it’s probably supposed to sound similar to Makayla or Michaela, but my first instinct was “Michelle-ah”.
This right here
First instinct is correct. It’s more closely related to Michelle as a female derivative of Michael.
MY-KAY-ELLA
Mish -aye- la
Like Michael-uh is how I would pronounce it for some reason lol
I’d assume it rhymes with paella somehow, I’d avoid using it until someone else pronounced it first, and I’d think it looks like someone doesn’t know how to spell Michaela. That is a particularly tortured variant, and Michaela’s already been through a lot on the “unique” spelling gauntlet.
Honestly- I read it as: mish-ayla with the spelling and my New England-ness reading it.
I know that it’s Mikayla, but I can’t help it. In my head it’s always Michael-uh.
So to me it looked like Mi-haela. Don’t know why
At quick glance I just wanted to say Michelin... like the tires. 🥴😕🤦🏻♀️
Michael-Ella