Both Michael and Micheal are different spellings of the same name. Interestingly, there are different spellings of names and words in different countries.
The Americans spell the name as ‘Michael’, while they pronounce it as ‘Mikul’. In Irish, the spelling of this name is ‘Micheal’, while it’s pronounced as ‘Meehal’.
It is also possible that you see an American person with the name spelled ‘Micheal’ and the pronunciation ‘Mikul’. It’s worth noting that none of these are incorrect. Several words are spelled differently in U.S. and U.K. English, though the meanings are the same.
If you’re interested to learn which words have different spellings, stick around. I’ll also share some basic rules of grammar, so keep on reading.
So, let’s dive into it…
How To Improve Grammar And Pronunciation?
The best way to learn any language is by using it; the more you use it, the better you will get at it.
Similarly, if you want to learn English grammar, then you need to use it as much as possible. There are two ways in which you can improve your grammar.
Through Reading Material
Reading books and other publications written in English will help you understand more about the language.
You will also be able to understand some of the conventional words that are difficult for students who have studied the language from other sources rather than books.
Through Listening
Listening to podcasts or television programs on TV or the internet is an excellent way of improving your pronunciation and understanding of spoken English.
This helps in learning new words at a faster pace than reading them out loud would.
Are Names Pronounced The Same In Different Languages?
The names having the same spelling are pronounced differently in different languages.
The reason behind this is that different alphabets have different sounds. The writing system also differs from language to language.
If you want your name to be pronounced in the right way, you should create the spelling in another person’s native language.
Michael vs. Micheal
Michael is a very popular name in America, though the name is spelled differently throughout the world.
In Ireland, this name has different spellings than in America. The Irish people spell it as Micheal. Interestingly, not only do spellings differ from country to country but also the pronunciation. This name can also be written as Miquel.
- Americans pronounce Michael as Mi-Kul.
- Irish pronounce Micheal as Meehal.
- Some people even pronounce ‘Micheal’ as Mai-kul.
English Words That Are Pronounced Differently Than Their Spellings
| Words | Pronounced As |
| Dalziel | Dee-ell |
| Indictment | Indight-ment |
| Leicester | Less-ter |
| Debris | Debri |
| Queue | Q |
| Lieutenant | Leftenant |
| People | Pee-pal |
| Rough | Ruf |
| Plough | Plau |
| Asthma | Asma |
| Aisle | Ile |
| Mainwaring | Mannering |
| Bow | Bo |
Alot vs. A Lot: Which One Is Correct?
You might confuse the word ‘a lot’ with ‘alot’ and wonder which one is correct. The English dictionary doesn’t have the word ‘alot’.
The accurate synonym of ‘many’ is ‘a lot’. It’s worth noting that ‘a’ and ‘lot’ are not joined. Another similar and correct word to ‘alot’ is allot which means giving someone something.
Here are some examples:
- There are a lot of people suffering from chronic diseases like cancer.
- There are a lot of reasons to be happy.
- There was a lot of dirt on the glass.
- He allotted this property to Mrs. James.
Why Do U.S. and U.K. Spell Things Differently?
You probably know that Americans and British people spell words differently. Noah Webster, who’s a famous writer of the English dictionary, changed the U.S. English spelling.
The distinction you see in today’s U.S English is because of the influence of Webster’s dictionary published in 1828.
Therefore, the popularity of this dictionary is no secret. He also had the honor of writing the first English dictionary in 1806. His main work was removing the silent letters from the words.
He made the following changes in the English spellings:
- He replaced ‘ce’ with ‘se’. Therefore, a word like offence is now written as offense.
- He also let go of the ‘u’ from the words that had ‘ou’. The words such as colour – color and honour – honor are some examples.
- Did you know that the word ‘music’ and public had ‘k’ after ‘c’? Webster proposed this change in these words.
Though U.K. English hasn’t adopted these changes, it’s worth noting that Australia also uses the same rules of spelling as the U.K.
How To Improve Spelling Skills?
The reason why non-natives aren’t good at spelling is that they don’t write and speak English in everyday life. But there are ways you can improve your spelling skills.
Not everyone can memorize spellings; therefore, the best practice would be writing. Research also reveals that you remember things when you handwrite on physical paper.
After being introduced to digital notes, very few people take notes with a pen. Let me tell you that when you write something on a digital keyboard, the information stays with you only for a day.
So, if you want to improve your spelling skills, you’d better write them down.
Breakdown Into Syllables
You can break the words into different parts to memorize their spellings. The best way to do so is by breaking the word down into syllables. A syllable is a phonological building block, which means it’s a unit of pronunciation with one vowel sound.
Here’s how you can break words into syllables for better pronunciation:
- College: Col-lege
- Characteristics: Cha-rac-ter-is-tics
- Pumpkin: Pump-kin
- Immature: Im-ma-ture
- Incorrect: In-cor-rect
- Nevertheless: Ne-ver-the-less
As you can see, breaking down these words can make you learn them more easily.
Basic Rules of Grammar
- Don’t use passive voice as it reduces the flow of the sentence.
- When connecting two ideas, you should use conjunctions.
- Use the comma in the right place. Otherwise, the context of your text changes completely, e.g., “Help, a lion!” and “Help a lion!”
- Homophones can create a lot of confusion. Therefore, it’s essential to know the meaning of each similar-sounding word. It’s and its are homophones.
- A sentence is incomplete without a noun and verb, e.g., he writes.
- Do and make are used in different situations.
- When talking about doing tasks where there are no physical objects involved, use the word ‘do.’
Examples:
Do the dishes.
Do the work.
Do good.
- When there’s production or construction involved, use the word ‘make’.
Examples:
Make coffee.
Make an effort.
Make an apology.
This video shows you three easy ways to help you improve your grammar.
Conclusion
- In English, spelling has evolved, and Noah Williams is the person who deserves credit for this.
- Non-natives tend to get confused when they see words spelled differently in the U.S. and the U.K.
- In this article, I discussed why the English name ‘Michael’ has different spellings in different countries.
- Whether you’re learning the English language or spelling, you shouldn’t consume too much data in one go.