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The Italian equivalent for 'Michael' is Michele (pronounced mee-keh-leh). This is often the subject of confusion for English speakers because it resembles the spelling of Michelle, which is a female name popularly used in English-speaking countries, the French version of which is Michèle.
The pronunciation of ch- in Italian
The main reason for the confusion between Michele and other European variants is the fact that the Italian language has a rather complex way of dealing with the lack of a 'k' in its alphabet. To replicate the 'k' sound, Italians uses two methods.
The best way to think of it is that 'c' is the letter always used to form a 'k' sound - but before the vowels i and e, an added 'h' is necessary. Examples are the words CHiara (pronounced kya-ra) and orCHestra (or-kes-tra). Before the vowels u, a, and o, 'c' will be pronounced as 'k'- for example, Casa (kaz-ah), Cura (koo-rah), Corona (koh-row-na).
Etymology of Michele
The name Michele, much like its English counterpart, derives from the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (or Mikha'el) which first appears in the Bible (Numbers 13:13), and is later seen as the name of an Archangel (Daniel 12:1) who is considered a saint in various forms of Christianity.
Because of its link to the Bible, the name Michele (and its international equivalents) are particularly popular in predominantly Christian countries.
The pronunciation of ch- in Italian
The main reason for the confusion between Michele and other European variants is the fact that the Italian language has a rather complex way of dealing with the lack of a 'k' in its alphabet. To replicate the 'k' sound, Italians uses two methods.
The best way to think of it is that 'c' is the letter always used to form a 'k' sound - but before the vowels i and e, an added 'h' is necessary. Examples are the words CHiara (pronounced kya-ra) and orCHestra (or-kes-tra). Before the vowels u, a, and o, 'c' will be pronounced as 'k'- for example, Casa (kaz-ah), Cura (koo-rah), Corona (koh-row-na).
Etymology of Michele
The name Michele, much like its English counterpart, derives from the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (or Mikha'el) which first appears in the Bible (Numbers 13:13), and is later seen as the name of an Archangel (Daniel 12:1) who is considered a saint in various forms of Christianity.
Because of its link to the Bible, the name Michele (and its international equivalents) are particularly popular in predominantly Christian countries.