Am I the only person who says EP-STINE not EP-STEEN?

[FakeNoose]

I can't help it, because "Epstein" is a German name, and Germans would never say "Ep-STEEN." It's against my training/learning to say it incorrectly.

Any German word that has the "ei" letter combination is always pronounced as Long-I.
Stein, Heimlich, Klein, Nein ... these are words that almost any American can pronounce correctly, even if they don't speak German.

The German language is rich with "ei" words and almost all of them are pronounced with the Long-I. At the moment I can't think of a single word that doesn't, unless it was imported from English or another language.

And every day I hear the name pronounced on the news media as "EP-STEEN" and of course this only reinforces the error.

[senseandsensibility]

1. I'm sure you're right about the correct Germanic pronunciation

but names can be a little different. For instance, I have an unusual last name that others with the same name (not relatives) pronounce differently than my family does. They are spelled the same but it's another case of vowels being said differently.

[PatSeg]

18. It took me a long time to get used to the pronunciation

of "Mueller" when Robert Mueller was special counsel. I'd always said "MYOO-ler", it was hard to get used to saying "MULL-er".

[karynnj]

2. I would go by what people with the name say

I know several people who have the family name of Epstein, all Jewish. All of them say Ep steen.

Asking Google how it is pronounced suggested this is the most common pronunciation on North America. They mention this could be rooted in Yiddish.

They mention your pronunciation and say it is closer to the German pronunciation.

I have not heard a single person who knew Epstein pronounce the name as anything other than Ep steen.

[FakeNoose]

4. OK I'm not arguing with that, but I never knew the man Jeffrey Epstein

I'm only reading the name whenever it's printed in the news or on the internet, even here on DU.

I can't help it, I read this name as "Epstine" because that's how I am trained to read German.
If I were a TV newsreader I would have a real problem!

[DavidDvorkin]

3. You are not the only one.

[Gruenemann]

5. I pronounce it -STINE as well

To me -STEEN is like fingernails on a blackboard.

I can't go against my training in German pronunciation.

Furthermore, I've spent seventy years hearing people mispronounce my German surname.

Now, if we're going for the Yiddish pronunciation, wouldn't it something like "Epshtayn" ?

[FakeNoose]

6. Good point - Yiddish is a German dialect, not a separate language

Here's an American example, (because I live in Pittsburgh, PA) many people around here say the word "creek" as "crick." We all know what that word means when we hear it, but it's not "hoch-Deutsch."

Also I read your name correctly, with no problem.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. The sculptor Jacob Epstein (born in the USA, spent most of his adult life in the UK) was Ep-stine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Epstein

I believe everyone says "Ein-stine", and never "Ein-steen" (or "Een-steen" ). And "Frank-enn-stine" (except when it's "Fronk-enn-steen", of course, to go with "Eye-gor". And happy 100th birthday to Mel Brooks tomorrow!)

[meadowlander]

8. When names are Americanized, the pronounciation sometimes changes.

I think you should respect the pronunciation that the individual uses themselves, not the "correct" home country version.

See Stephen Colbert choosing to change the pronunciation from what the rest of his family uses "Col-bert" to "Col-bear" because he likes the sound better.

Likewise, lots of Italian surnames are "mispronounced" in America because the accent shifts to a different syllable or some letter combinations are pronounced differently. For example Sciavo is more often "Shah-vo" rather than "Skee-a-vo" or "Ca-pone" not "Ca-po-ne". Lapaglia is "lah-pay-ah" in Italy not "La-pag-lee-a".

In Ireland, McLaughlin is usually pronounced "Mac-loch-lan" but in America it's usually "Mic-lof-lin". Gallagher is usually "Galaher" not "Galager". Dougherty is usually "Docherty" not "Dough-er-tee". Often these are reflecting regional differences in accent in the original country.

There's isn't really a "correct" way to pronounce a name other than the way the person introducing themselves tells you it is pronounced. If he preferred "Ep-steen", I'd say that's the least of the things you could find objectionable about him and it's not the media's job to be the pronunciation police and correct it.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Australians pronounce it 'EHPST-eyen'

That's according to a pronunciation site I just visited. I simplify it by pronouncing it as 'FUCKIN' PEDO'

[edhopper]

10. Most Jewish people with Stein in there name

Pronounce it STEEN

[FakeNoose]

12. They must be American, yes?

I find it hard to believe that any German-born person would pronounce it that way.

But now that you mention it, I have known Jewish families in Pittsburgh (and also New York). Not any Epsteins - but Bernstein and Rosenstein - and these families all used the STINE pronunciation.

[edhopper]

24. Yes

Specifically post war American.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Gertrude Stein. Ben Stein. Sergei Eisenstein. Are you sure? (nt)

[edhopper]

21. Most in the Jewish community

I grew up up in. Goldstein, Silverstein, Epstein

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Of famous "Steins" I found the pronunciation for so far, we have:

Steen:

Elmer Bernstein
Jeffrey Epstein (it seems)

Stine:
Leonard Bernstein
Albert Einstein
Helena Rubinstein
Jacob Epstein
Sergei Eisenstein
Gertrude Stein
Ben Stein

[edhopper]

23. AFAIK

as far as I know, Stein solo is always STINE. At the end of the name, is usually STEEN. at least in post war America.
Sergei Eisenstein was Russian, not American.
As for Leonard, the Bernstein's in my neighborhood where all STEENS.

[muriel_volestrangler]

25. It could be a post-war America thing

I wonder why, if so. Is the "Einstein Bros." bagel chain pronounced "stine", thanks to Albert's fame?

[edhopper]

33. Yeah

Einstein is STINE.

[Emile]

11. I pronounce it Ep-steen. Either way,

pretty sure people will know you're talking about Trump's pedophile best friend.

[usedtobedemgurl]

14. If the guy called himself steen....

Then I figure he knows how to pronounce his own name.

[FakeNoose]

15. My point is that I don't know him personally, I just read the name

I've explained that I read the name as a German word. This is how German words are pronounced, that's all. Apparently some other DUers are doing the same thing.

[usedtobedemgurl]

16. Sure, and your point is valid.

That is how it should be. Things change. People move. Pronunciations and even spellings change. I would take offence if I told someone my name was Smith and they called my Smyf. You say it in your head because of your history. I just follow along with how the person wanted it.

[haele]

29. No, no...it's not pronounced "Franken - Stein"

It's pronounced "Frahn - ken - schteeen".

I don't care if the media and the GOP is trying to make him sound less Saxon, but his name is still shorthand for blackmailing pedophile partner of DJT.

[Rstrstx]

31. .

[Kid Berwyn]

19. Evidently that's what the child sex trafficker told his students.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNlDUARxdmi/

[ananda]

20. You'd be surprised at how many people pronounce it "steen."

It's a way of Americanizing it, so it doesn't
sound so German.

I've known a lot of people who do that.

[Goonch]

26. ;-{) THIS

Last edited Sat Jun 27, 2026, 02:14 PM - Edit history (1)

[FakeNoose]

27. Awesome! I want one!

[haele]

28. Ep - stein. One does not call the Iconic Austrian-German Tankard

A "Steen".
According to my copy of Merriman Webster circa 1978, ei is generally pronounced as a soft vowel combination -like "ehi", which generally ends up sounding like the word "eye".

[Bayard]

30. Yes

[fujiyamasan]

32. I was a little surprised to hear it pronounced with the "ee" sound

[RandomNumbers]

34. The correct pronunciation of a name, is how the person says it themself.

Of course Epstein isn't here to tell us, and normally I DGAF about an evil man's feelings. But it is the principle of the thing, and if he said it "steen" then that's correct no matter what we think. (more interesting, perhaps - I don't even KNOW how he said it. But I hope all the newscasters out there saying "steen" are saying that because it's correct.)

(speaking as someone who IRL has a name that is routinely mangled by other people)

[FakeNoose]

35. Maybe the news announcers are all saying it wrong?