# Surname suffix "stein"--"steen" or "stine." Any tips on usage? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573 "2016-11-04T00:38:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/1 "2016-11-04T00:38:11Z")
In Chicagoland “stine” seems more common, as the German pronounciation. Or more Germans settled here; I’ve lived most of my life in “German” towns. When calling the New York area I default to “steen,” which seems the locally-preferred way. Even Allan Sherman\* (Chicago) joked about it, with "stein with an ‘E’ and stein with an ‘I’. Then there’s Reinstein, which in NY reverses the pronounciation in mid-word. Give a goy\*\* a break with any suggestions. - - Friend, who is a cousin of his, assumes that he killed himself because “nobody on that side of the family ever dies of natural causes.” \*\* - She also considers me a Jew, citing Nuremburg rules. “Good enough for Tel Aviv, good enough for me.” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/2 "2016-11-04T10:53:01Z")
In German, the letters "ei"always take a sound like the English “i”, and ie always like the English “e”. So, for instance, you have Wein (wine) vs Wien (Vienna). So as long as you’re speaking German, there’s the answer. When you’re talking American pronunciations, though, it’s a different story, and here’s an article from William Safire from 1983 considering it: > **[ON LANGUAGE; STINE OR STEEN? (Published 1983)](https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/25/magazine/on-language-stine-or-steen.html)** ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/3 "2016-11-04T13:48:47Z")
“That’s FRONKENSTEEN!” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/4 "2016-11-04T15:13:08Z")
There’s no rule that will tell you any particular person pronounces their name. Try to remember it once you hear it. Everyone one of them will hear their name pronounced differently from their preference once in a while and they’re being jerks if that upsets them unless you’ve been corrected a bunch of times and seem to be doing it on purpose. I think most of them don’t care and will accept either pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/5 "2016-11-04T15:16:58Z")
My wife’s grandmother was a Klein, but switched the spelling to Kline (no diff in pronunciation; it was something to do with one of the World Wars. If you think I’ll ever get the complete story, dream on!) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/6 "2016-11-04T15:28:40Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > My wife’s grandmother was a Klein, but switched the spelling to Kline (no diff in pronunciation; it was something to do with one of the World Wars. If you think I’ll ever get the complete story, dream on!) One of my sisters dated a Kline in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/7 "2016-11-06T06:05:19Z")
Saw a Jewish guy on a talk show years ago (don’t remember which) who was asked this question, and his response was to ask the host whether he’d ever heard anyone make reference to Albert Eeensteen. I’ve pronounced it “stein” and not “steen” ever since. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/8 "2016-11-06T18:36:07Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > In German, the letters "ei"always take a sound like the English “i”, and ie always like the English “e”. So, for instance, you have > > Wein (wine) vs Wien (Vienna). So as long as you’re speaking German, there’s the answer. When you’re talking American pronunciations, though, it’s a different story, and here’s an article from William Safire from 1983 considering it: > > [http://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/25/magazine/on-language-stine-or-steen.html](http://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/25/magazine/on-language-stine-or-steen.html) Safire was wrong there regarding Leonard Bernstein (who was bern-STINE), as pointed out by a friend (of his, whose name I forget) in the next week’s mailbag. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/9 "2016-11-06T22:45:25Z")
Safire was wrong about oh so many things. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/10 "2016-11-07T04:52:12Z")
> [@AppallingGael](#): > > Safire was wrong there regarding Leonard Bernstein (who was bern-STINE), as pointed out by a friend (of his, whose name I forget) in the next week’s mailbag. If only he had watched _Sesame Street_. When Lenny made a guest appearance there, Kermit introduced him as “Leonard BernSTEEN.” Lenny immediately corrected him: “BernSTINE.” ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/11 "2016-11-07T06:03:47Z")
Here’s an [earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=52094&highlight=Stein+Steen) on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surname-suffix-stein-steen-or-stine-any-tips-on-usage/770573/12 "2016-11-07T13:54:49Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > If only he had watched _Sesame Street_. When Lenny made a guest appearance there, Kermit introduced him as “Leonard BernSTEEN.” Lenny immediately corrected him: “BernSTINE.” Lenny, of course, was “The East Coat Bernstein.” There was also The West Coast Bernstein: [Elmer Bernstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Bernstein), the film composer, who wrote dozens of movie scores, including _The Ten Commandments_ and _The Magnificent Seven_. And, amusingly, _Robot Monster_. Elmer pronounced his name Bern-STEEN. Elmer and Leonard weren’t related, although they were friends. The other thread mentions Oscar Hammerstein (of Rodgers and…). Although a lot of people seemed to pronounce it Hammer-STEEN, he himself pronounced it -STINE.