Hollywood’s Emily Ratajkowski gives lesson on how to pronounce her Polish surname
"It girl" Emily Ratajkowski has told fans how to properly pronounce her last name in a viral TikTok during New York Fashion Week.
The model-turned-actress whose grandparents are Polish, is often referred to as 'EmRata' due to the confusion about the correct pronunciation which is phonetically anglicized as (rat-a-cow-ski).
In an interview with fashion label Tory Burch, when asked what her surname is, the 31-year-old replied that it is actually pronounced ‘Rat-Ah-Kof-Ska’. This is the Polish pronunciation.”
But in an interview with fashion label Tory Burch, when asked what her surname is, the 31-year-old replied that it is actually pronounced ‘Rat-Ah-Kof-Ska’.
“This is the Polish pronunciation,” she added.
She later explained: “Liana [the interviewer] and I are both Eastern European so I was being playful! This is how you say it in Polish!”
She later explained: “Liana [the interviewer] and I are both Eastern European so I was being playful! This is how you say it in Polish!”
Born in England to American parents, Ratajkowksi describes herself as being of Polish-Israeli descent.
Her paternal grandfather was born in Warsaw and settled down in San Diego after World War II.
Born in England to American parents, Ratajkowksi (pictured with her father) describes herself as being of Polish-Israeli descent.
Being raised in Encinitas, a town near San Diego on United States’ west coast, the model admitted to previously using the anglicised pronunciation in interviews.
Although being advised to change her name for the sake of her career in Hollywood, she has refused following her dad’s advice.
She said: "People have told me to change it over the years, but my dad is always saying: 'Never change your name!'"
Her paternal grandfather was born in Warsaw and settled down in San Diego after World War II.
The mum-of-one also told Rolling Stone Magazine in 2013, that her name is said without pronouncing the ‘J’, which would be a reference to the English pronunciation.
She said: “The J is silent. That's the trick. Occasionally people get it right on the first try, just through random luck.”
Polish fans have now flooded the video with comments.
Ratajkowski shot to fame after appearing in the music video Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke and Pharrel Williams.
One said: “As another Polish girl who has a name like that people are always shocked it sounds so different than it reads.”
Another wrote: “She's deff Polish lol my husband's last name is Rembiszewski most polish have a ski at the end haha 🥰🥰 gorgeous.”
And yet another asked: “She says "...kowsk-ah is the "i" always an "ah" 😳”, to which one person replied: “No last names with « ski » in poland are for men and last names with « ska » are for women.”
