Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Micah pronunciation

92 replies

Kay4546 · 02/02/2023 21:38

We have a 8 month old called Micah, we love not too popular names but never wanted to give our child a name with ambiguous pronunciation.

70% of health professionals I have come into contact with so far have mispronounced his name “Me-kah” instead of “My-kah”.

Will he will have to correct people his whole life and if so should we consider changing it before he gets any older?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
superdupernova · 02/02/2023 22:55

I only know one Micah and she's a woman. She pronounces it My-cah.

UncleHerbie · 02/02/2023 22:56

My cousin is a Micah (“Mycah “ (38)), and he’s never had issues with his name being mispronounced. Fab name too

SemperIdem · 02/02/2023 23:00

I’d pronounce it My-kah

Manifest828 · 02/02/2023 23:08

Kay4546 · 02/02/2023 21:38

We have a 8 month old called Micah, we love not too popular names but never wanted to give our child a name with ambiguous pronunciation.

70% of health professionals I have come into contact with so far have mispronounced his name “Me-kah” instead of “My-kah”.

Will he will have to correct people his whole life and if so should we consider changing it before he gets any older?

I also have a Micah and yes I have the same problem with healthcare professionals they pronounce it's as Me-kah. I always have to correct. I don't believe (I think) he will have to correct for the rest of his life. Even if you pronounce the name phonetically it still says My-cah 😂

jackstini · 02/02/2023 23:14

My-kah - as per the Bible

And I know a lovely 10 year old one
Don't change it Smile

largeprintagathachristie · 02/02/2023 23:21

I would say Me-ka.
Like the beginning of Michelle.
sorry!

UsingChangeofName · 02/02/2023 23:21

I'm no help really as I have come across
My-Kah
Me-Kah
and
Meesha

Personally I would have said My-kah .

However, I wouldn't be changing their name just for this.

averythinline · 02/02/2023 23:31

mee kah here for a boy meesha got a girl like mica paris... sorry however if someone told me my cah like the mineral i would just make sure i got it right!

NewNovember · 02/02/2023 23:34

I say Me Kah pretty sure that's the correct pronunciation.

NowDoYouBelieveMe · 02/02/2023 23:35

NewNovember · 02/02/2023 23:34

I say Me Kah pretty sure that's the correct pronunciation.

I've only known people with this name to pronounce it Mee-sha.

PandaG · 02/02/2023 23:43

Definitely My-cuh for a boy, as in the pronunciation of the prophet and book in the Old Testament.

Perhaps Meesha for a girl, but I'd be more likely to say My-cuh

TheDinnerWitch · 03/02/2023 00:10

I really thought Mika, Mica and Micah were all pronounced Mee-ka 🤷🏻‍♀️

antipodeancanary · 03/02/2023 00:16

Mike uh, as in the bible and Micah Richards

mathanxiety · 03/02/2023 02:52

I've never heard it pronounced Me-kah.

It's always My-kah.

I would have thought this was common knowledge.

mathanxiety · 03/02/2023 02:53

@PhotoDad

It's not spelled Micha.
It's Micah

marcopront · 03/02/2023 03:55

The one I know pronounces it Me Ka.

There is no right pronunciation.

PhotoDad · 03/02/2023 06:25

@mathanxiety

Yes, in English it is, but it's literally (in Hebrew) the same as the first part of "Michael" (which people know how to pronounce). I could have explained myself more clearly. Sorry for confusion!

Beachloveramy · 03/02/2023 06:38

When I was pregnant with my 9mo I posted here about Micah.

I wanted to call him Micah but pronounce it Me-ca and all I had was comments saying that was wrong and that it was My-ca so I went with something else 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's a nice name either way!! Wish I'd kept it in as a middle name.

bcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyza · 03/02/2023 06:49

I would pronounce it as Mai kuh as the book in the bible

CharitySchmarity · 03/02/2023 20:49

I've only ever heard it pronounce My-ka until I read this thread. Stick to your guns!

Happinessandrainbows · 04/02/2023 15:08

I'd think My-Kah straight away.

SquashPenguin · 04/02/2023 15:55

Would always read it My-kah. I did geology at university and the mineral Mica is pronounced my-kah, so I don’t see why it would be any different.

20viona · 04/02/2023 16:16

I'd say my kah.

I have the same thing my daughter is called Ayla pronounced with an AY-LA but people always call her Isla. Doesn't bother me for a one off docs apt; anyone else I correct the first time.

SignOnTheWindow · 04/02/2023 16:20

Oh, don't change it - it's such a beautiful name!

If it annoys him later in life, he can always use a middle name or change it then. Lots of names are initially mispronounced, so he won't be alone.

Theraffarian · 04/02/2023 16:28

I would have gone with Me-Kah . I wouldn’t change it , and I say that as a person in their 50’s whose name is mis pronounced on a weekly basis , you just get used to it with any name that doesn’t have a very defined right or wrong way to say it .