An Emberassing Question

[Blackwater Demon]

How do you pronounce Mike's name? I mean Im pretty sure Mikael is the same as our Michael but in his last nameis the T silent or anything?

 

[Sefeed]

My guess is Michael, but my only proof there is him pronouncing it that way in a video for harvest. As for Akerfeldt I've always pronounced it as Ah kur felt

 

[Metalstrm]

I think it's Me-ka-ell Awe-care-felt.

 

[DinoB]

I thought it was Meek-ell Oh-Kur-Felt

I swear I heard him pronounce it this way in an interview I saw a while ago.

 

[Blackwater Demon]

I figured it was My-call Ack-er-felt but Im probably wrong

 

[Necropeth]

Lol yeah iv always been pronouncing it michael, but i heard this
one guy at my school says something like "yeah mee-kay-ull is amazing!" and i was like waaaaaa?????????

 

[Vega Skater]

Mick-ale for me. I just pronounce Akerfeldt as Ache-er-felt.

In any case, just call him Mike, for everybody wants to be like Mike.

 

[liquidcow]

I've heard him say it the same as Michael at least twice. The first was in the video for Harvest. The second was at a gig when he was doing the 'introducing the band' bit and he said that he was Peter wearing his Mikael suit, or something. Also I've heard interviewers say it that was and while they're not him, I would have thought at least some of them would check how it's pronounced beforehand.

As for the last name, I don't know for definite but I'm pretty sure it's Ack-Er-Felt, although it could be Ache-er-felt.

 

[Blackwater Demon]

my moms last name is Akers lol

 

[Sefeed]

my moms last name is Akers lol

If by some chance you are my friend of old, Alex Akers, I will crap myself.

 

[Cerberus III]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/opeth/459-how-does-one-pronounce.html

 

[daimonion]

Hard to explain - but its really completely different than the english name. Noone has got it yet.

The reason he says it the english way is probably because it just sounds better for englishspeaking people.



Why do americans always seem to think scandinavian names and words are pronounced in an english way?

 

[S<issors]

at concerts he's typically introduced as "Michael Ack-er-felt."

 

[Blackwater Demon]

If by some chance you are my friend of old, Alex Akers, I will crap myself.

no Im afraid not, sorry

 

[Cerberus III]

Mee-kell Awkerfelt?

 

[Tepheron]

Mee-kell Awkerfelt?

Mee-ka-ell Aw-kerr-felt

 

[daimonion]

Mee-kell Awkerfelt?

You forgot the "a" witch also is pronounced, and the "r"... they're not like the english a or r, i don't know how to explain.

 

[neuroticandroid]

SURCH FUNK-SHUN

 

[hibernal_dream]

No one has actually got Mikael right so far LOL

 

[neuroticandroid]

Shit, I've studied phonetics at the University so I should be able to help you with this... but unfortunately I don't have me litterature here right now... but let's give it a try anyway. The other scandinavians here might want to help out...

First Mikael. The stress should be on the i-sound and it should be like "ee" in see. "el" in the end is just like "el" in hotel. The a-sound is more difficult. It lies more in the back of you mouth (depending a little on different dialects). Right now I can't think of a good english word to compare with but it's a little like "a" in the english short of mother - "ma". And then just put it together with the m and the k!

Akerfeldt (Åkerfeldt) then. The a with the ring over it should be pronounced like "aw" in saw. "er" is a little like "er" in error but not at all with the broad american r, more like the british r. "feldt" is just like the english word felt.

Hope it helped a little.

there you go