Emily Ratajkowski Reveals How to Pronounce Her Name
When it comes to Emily Ratajkowski, you might be asking Rataj..how..ski do I pronounce her name?
Not to worry, as the 31-year-old model recently shared exactly how to say her moniker. In a TikTok shared by Tory Burch Feb. 15, Emily declared it’s “Rat-Ah-Kof-Sky.”
Now, Emily has introduced herself many a time on camera by saying “Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee,” but elsewhere in the interview, which was filmed at 2023 New York Fashion Week, Emily noted that this pronunciation is “the Polish way.”
Back in 2013, the model, who shares 23-month-old son Sylvester Apollo Bear with with ex Sebastian Bear-McClard, lent out a tip for those think her name is a little daunting to try. “The J is silent,” she said, per Rolling Stone. “That’s the trick. Occasionally people get it right on the first try, just through random luck.”
While some have nailed it right away, there are people who have tried to get Emily to change her last name—a request her dad John David Ratajkowski has asked her not to fulfill.
“People have told me to change it over the years, but my dad is always saying, ‘Never change your name!'” she noted, per the outlet. “My middle name is O’Hara, so it’s a pretty epic name. Emily O’Hara Ratajkowski.”
Epic, indeed. But Emily’s moniker isn’t the only one that’s often mispronounced in Hollywood. To learn the pronunciation of more celebrity names, keep reading.
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Emily Ratajkowski (Pronounced: Rat-Ah-Kof-Sky or Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee)
After much speculation surrounding her moniker, the model set the record straight in a TikTok shared by Tory Burch on Feb. 15, where she provided “the Polish way” to say it. She has also introduced herself by pronouncing her last name “Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee.”
TikTok
Raven-Symoné (Pronounced: See-mon-ye)
While Raven-Symoné’s character could see the future on That’s So Raven, fans likely didn’t see this coming. The actress revealed in a January 2023 TikTok that her name has been mispronounced for years and is actually pronounced See-mon-ye.
Taylor Hill/WireImage
Brendan Fraser (Pronounced: Brendan Fray-zer)
After Adam Sandler accidentally mispronounced Fraser’s last name during a December 2022 interview for Variety‘s Actors on Actors series, the George of the Jungle star swung in with a trick that can help fans remember how to say the moniker correctly: Fraser rhymes with razor.
Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images
Adele (Pronounced: Uh-Dale)
During a Q&A in October 2022, the powerhouse singer praised a fan for “perfectly” pronouncing her name as “uh-dale” when asking a question.
Lindsay Lohan (Pronounced: Lo-Wen)
For her introductory video shared to TikTok in February 2022, Lindsay Lohan inadvertently set the record straight on how to correctly pronounce her last name, which is “Lo-wen.”
Summit Entertainment/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com
Taylor Lautner (Pronounced: Lowt-Ner)
Speaking with E! News in February 2022, Taylor revealed the first syllable of his last name rhymes with “out” instead of being pronounced as “lot.”
Jon Kopaloff/WireImage
Alicia Silverstone (Pronounced: Uh-Lee-See-Uh)
The Clueless actress set the record straight on how to pronounce her name on TikTok. Alicia said she’s not bothered if fans don’t get it right, noting, “But my sweet mama didn’t like it… so for her… get it right! Ali-SEE-yuh.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Kesha (Pronounced: Keh-Sha)
“My name is Kesha. Keh-sha,” the singer said on TikTok. “Not Keisha. Not Ketchup. Kesha.”
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Justin Theroux (Pronounced: Tha-Roo)
The 49-year-old actor’s uncle revealed in an interview with Apple TV+ that we’ve all been pronouncing “Theroux” incorrectly, including Justin himself! “The main character is played by Justin Theroux, my nephew,” Paul Theroux explained of the actor starring in his novel’s television adaptation. The novelist later poked fun at his nephew, saying, “Sometimes he calls himself Justin tha-row [laughs]. It’s a French name, it’s Theroux.”
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Ariana Grande (Pronounced: Gran-Dee)
The pop star dropped jaws in 2018 after she explained the correct way to say her last name. When speaking about her engagement to Pete Davidson at the time, Ariana discussed whether or not she’d take his last name in an interview with Beats 1’s Ebro Darden. That’s when she blurted out the “gran-dee” pronunciation when describing her own last name.
MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Chrissy Teigen (Pronounced: Tie-Ghen)
The Cravings cookbook author blew everyone’s mind when she shared the real way to say her last name. During an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan in 2018, the model admitted it was her “fault” for the mispronunciation. “It’s been 25 years, I’m tired of correcting people,” she expressed.
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Gucci Fragrance
Gal Gadot (Pronounced: Guh-Dote)
The lasso of truth! The Wonder Woman actress chatted with Jimmy Kimmel about the pronunciation (guh-dote) and the meaning of her last name, which is “Riverbank” in Hebrew. “The Gadot used to be Greenstein,” she confessed of her original last name, but her parents “felt” it had more oomph.
Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Jake Gyllenhaal (Pronounced: Yee-Len-Hey-Lo)
Prepare to be mind blown. During an appearance on Conan in 2012, the actor shared the “only two places that that is pronounced correctly, my last name, is in Sweden and in Ikea.”
Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty Images
Ralph Fiennes (Pronounced: Ray-F Fines)
The star has openly discussed just how frequently people screw up his name. However, in 2011, he told The Hollywood Reporter he’d never change it because he was named after his step-grandfather, who pronounced it in the same way.
Brill/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Sade Adu (Pronounced Shar-Day)
According to the legendary singer’s IMDb page, her stage name is pronounced shar-day.
Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Steve Buscemi (Pronounced: Boo-Sem-Ee)
In 2014, the Fargo alum confirmed his last name is pronounced boo-sem-ee during a panel for Running Late with Scott Rogowsky. However, he said he doesn’t “correct people” if they say boo-shh-em-me because “it’s not wrong.”
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Charlize Theron (Pronounced: There-In)
The Bombshell actress has become a household name but it appears we’ve been all saying it wrong. In 2014, Charlize told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that her last name is always botched. “They screw it up,” she quipped. “I almost want to make an audiotape on how to pronounce my name.”
Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images
Amanda Seyfried (Pronounced: Sigh-Frid)
The Mean Girls alum has us all feeling like Karen because she revealed in 2012 during an interview with Hollywood Streams that the correct pronunciation of her last name is sigh-frid. Although, she admitted that her “sister says it differently” than she does.
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