people mispronouncing willemijn verkaik's name for over 3 minutes

I love my favourite musical theatre performer looks at smudged handwriting Western Virginia? wombat vermillion? wiLmA vERsAcE?!
FYI: I don't speak Dutch. so this is also a callout video to my old self who wouldn't dare say her name out loud for over a year for fear of getting it wrong.
EDIT: Re-uploaded because another example was found that was too good to leave out.
Video sources:
Scott Alan and die hexen von oz - • Willemijn Verkaik (f/ ...
best of 2013 obsessed - • OBSESSED! Best of 2013...
world tour defying gravity - • OBSESSED! Willemijn Ve...
We love you willy - • Willemjin Verkaik - Ol...
verkaLk - • Brisant Prominent: Ale...
West end Wilma 1 - • Willemijn Verkaik has ...
WEW - knowing me knowing you - • Willemijn Verkaik play...
Die Eiskönigin 2 - • DIE EISKÖNIGIN 2 Inter...
Lady at the oscars struggling to say her name - • งาน Oscars ครั้งแรกของ...
Goldenen Henne - / 1521660777923281
Wicked 10th anniversary - • WICKED LONDON 10th Ann...
I don’t own anything; all rights to the respective owners

[@dneezeverdeen412]

Different pronounciations .. Willemijn everytime : "right, perfect"😁

[@rachelaharonov9855]

-Insert -*-multilingual good natured laughter-*- here-

[@roisingrant]

Bless this sweet woman she's too polite to even say anything half the time! i relate on a spiritual level NOBODY who isn't Irish can pronounce my full name correctly first go lmao

[@x0xTHLover4Lifex0x]

I never understood people mispronouncing names lol everyone learned how to speak hearing other people say words...just mimic what you hear like you been doing your whole life

[@alexisericson241]

To be fair, in the English-speaking world the Dutch "ij" letter combination is basically nonexistent. Her name is pretty hard to figure out if someone doesn't do a bunch of research first

[@lonelylittledot]

@@alexisericson241 Agreed, but I think if you're an interviewer, that research is just part of your job...

[@CindersSpot]

Well, if you grew up speaking a language that doesn't have the sound the name, it's hard. Like for example the Dutch ij and g, they don't exist in English. So you need to learn how to make a new sound completely from scratch, that isn't easy. Babies also don't get their pronunciation right the first time! It takes practice, and small children get to practice way more than an adult learning a sound for one name. But yeah, at least googling a name so that you can get it at least close to being right, that is basic human decency. Or ask her to teach you before the show starts. Being way off-base when you should be prepared is just rude.

[@alexisericson241]

@@CindersSpot Even if you Google and ask, it's still really hard for monolinguals. If you have to keep a sound pattern that you aren't familiar with in your head, it's really hard! The word doesn't go the way you'd expect it to in your native language. So even though 'ij' is something English speakers can easily learn to pronounce, it's not easy to remember. Especially if you see a word written first, or pronounced badly, that pronunciation can stick and mess you up. WIllemijn is a very Dutch name, and it's a beautiful name, but I'm sure Ms Verkaik has heard a ridiculous number of mispronunciations because of it

[@CindersSpot]

@@alexisericson241 Yeah, for certain!

[@jia681]

I haven't laughed so hard in so long thank you for this! 😂😂😂

[@everest938]

awww glad you enjoyed!

[@jotunfalls4026]

Being dutch this is hilarious cuz her name is so easy for me

[@user-rf8xo4ji7t]

same! I love seeing people die inside and willemijn just laughing 😂

[@violettbellerose1173]

I was so focused on watching all of her videos, I didn't stop to think she has a twitter account 🤦 I'm gonna follow her right after I see this video!

[@CindersSpot]

2:00 and 2:24 were pretty good actually! I wouldn't consider those mispronunciations. Absolutely hilarious how that one guy manages to get it both right AND wrong tho. Also very rude of Seth Rudesky to not even bother trying tho. It takes like 2 minutes to learn how to get her name mostly correct, come on. I would hate it if someone refused to call me by my actual name because it's "too hard". (Actually this happens to me a lot, it's deeply frustrating.)

[@annxl4723]

LOVE IT!!! I was just laughing the whole video :) and always clapping when someone said her name wright.

[@lenahwang6295]

My Verkaiking heart hurts

[@marianagonzalez7115]

I'm a native Spanish speaker, and when I saw her name written I just didn't attempt to read it, but it sounds beautiful, just as she is !

[@annathetheatrefan3110]

I. LOVE. EVERYTHING. ABOUT THIS VIDEO 😂❤️❤️❤️ you have a new subscriber ^^ 😁

[@everest938]

omg thanks so much! glad u enjoyed hahahaha

[@tygotogo8523]

WILMA VERSACE!! LOOOLLLLL

[@DenizTeve]

I love her and I loved this video so much! hahahha

[@evilbob9970]

1:44 ah, yes, noted stage actress Ueoureillimain Verkaewlk

[@feliz5919]

When people mispronounce her name it makes me So Uncomfortable Keine ahnug😂😂😂 Ich weiß nicht, warum es mich so verrückt macht😂😂😭💙💙💙

[@liamderosa2157]

I used to pronounce her name Will-jemin Vercakeee

[@verityjude2269]

k but like how do you say it? 😂 (I’m new lmao)

[@everest938]

Welcome!!! If you're a native English speaker it would be something like vil-uh-mine ver-kike. The actual dutch ij has a bit more of an "ay" twang which is discernable when she says her own name but when it's anglicized people say either vil-uh-mine or vil-uh-mayne. If you speak German it's kinda similar to the 'ei' in ein. As for "verkaik", you can hear that the V is a bit more like a hard F as well. Disclaimer that I'm not a Dutch speaker so this is just what I've picked up from yearrrssss of hearing her say it hahaha.

[@panainpublic]

I'm just gonna use the holy IPA because I suck at explaining pronunciations: /ˌʋɪləˈmɛɪn vɚˈkɑɪk/

[@alexisericson241]

@@panainpublic IPA FTW every time... once you know how to read it ofc XD

[@lily7459]

Like Willuhmaein with emphasis on 'maein' (groetjes from a native Dutch speaker)

[@alexisericson241]

I went all the way back on her Twitter page and only got to 2014. Anyone guess what happened?

[@roisinnigcrainn7722]

1:19 WHEN I TELL YOU THAT'S MY AUNT'S IRL NAME WTFFFFFF

[@ForschLeoDeRay_Genshin]

omg the oscar !

[@lonelylittledot]

Gahhh she's so cute 🥺😭

[@lucijavajda2209]

What's going on at 2:44 and when was it?

[@everest938]

it was during wicked london's 10th anniversary when they had a "gala" performance, and at the end, a bunch of wicked alumni came on stage. Suzie and Rachel took turns announcing the alumni, and in the vid, you can see rachel psyching herself up to pronounce willemijn's name. She pretty much gets it right other than anglicizing the "mijn" in "willemijn" but the fun in it is watching her be like, "okokok OK i gOT this" then fist-pumping when she gets it. clearly shows how much she worried about it 😂

[@evelinamusic]

Wow! 💕.

[@dinobobbie]

😂😂😂😂😂😂