# Jewish Friends: Goldstein pronounced Gold-steen: Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-friends-goldstein-pronounced-gold-steen-why/87635>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 16, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-friends-goldstein-pronounced-gold-steen-why/87635 "2001-10-16T02:28:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-friends-goldstein-pronounced-gold-steen-why/87635/1 "2001-10-16T02:28:38Z")

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I did a search, but I did not find this addressed, so I am asking it here.

Being German, I would pronounce the name to rhyme with “stine”, but I have a doc in my ER who insists we pronounce it “steen”. Well, okay. That is his wish and his prerogative.

I am curious about the _ **history** _ of this practice, however. Is the reason because when Jews first immigrated here the name was mass-mispronounced “steen” and it was much easier just to leave it that way, or was there another reason?

I am of the belief that a person’s name should be pronounced the way he or she _wants_ it to be pronounced. It is their name for life and I consider a matter of respect to learn the name and pronounce it correctly.

Take for instance the late columnist Lewis Grizzard. he wanted his name pronounced Gri- **zzard** with emphasis on the last syllable, not **Grizzard** to rhyme with **blizzard**. Even though his family in Meriwhether County Georgia did and still do pronounce it the “blizzard” way.

So can y’all shed some light on this practice?

Thanks

Quasi

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-friends-goldstein-pronounced-gold-steen-why/87635/2 "2001-10-16T02:36:58Z")

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Without anything to back me up, I attribute it to sheer ignorance. Have you seen what names people wound up with as they came through Ellis Island?

German Jews(or any other non-English group) who arrived in the US in the 19th Century, or even earlier, would have their names subject to mis-pronuciation by the then-current locals. It ain’t too much better today.

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-friends-goldstein-pronounced-gold-steen-why/87635/3 "2001-10-16T13:42:01Z")

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I agree with samclem and add the inability for English speakers to learn how to pronounce something in another language.

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**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-friends-goldstein-pronounced-gold-steen-why/87635/4 "2001-10-16T13:52:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Quasimodem \*  
> Being German, I would pronounce the name to rhyme with “stine”

I’m not sure about German, but this would be the Polish/Hungarian pronunciation. The Russian/Lithuanian pronunciation would rhyme with “stain”.