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meadowlander

(5,182 posts)
8. When names are Americanized, the pronounciation sometimes changes.
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 05:19 AM
21 hrs ago

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.

Recommendations

1 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

I'm sure you're right about the correct Germanic pronunciation senseandsensibility Friday #1
It took me a long time to get used to the pronunciation PatSeg 16 hrs ago #18
I would go by what people with the name say karynnj Friday #2
OK I'm not arguing with that, but I never knew the man Jeffrey Epstein FakeNoose Friday #4
You are not the only one. DavidDvorkin Friday #3
I pronounce it -STINE as well Gruenemann Friday #5
Good point - Yiddish is a German dialect, not a separate language FakeNoose Friday #6
The sculptor Jacob Epstein (born in the USA, spent most of his adult life in the UK) was Ep-stine muriel_volestrangler 22 hrs ago #7
When names are Americanized, the pronounciation sometimes changes. meadowlander 21 hrs ago #8
Australians pronounce it 'EHPST-eyen' Violet_Crumble 20 hrs ago #9
Most Jewish people with Stein in there name edhopper 19 hrs ago #10
They must be American, yes? FakeNoose 19 hrs ago #12
Yes edhopper 13 hrs ago #24
Gertrude Stein. Ben Stein. Sergei Eisenstein. Are you sure? (nt) muriel_volestrangler 17 hrs ago #13
Most in the Jewish community edhopper 15 hrs ago #21
Of famous "Steins" I found the pronunciation for so far, we have: muriel_volestrangler 15 hrs ago #22
AFAIK edhopper 13 hrs ago #23
It could be a post-war America thing muriel_volestrangler 13 hrs ago #25
Yeah edhopper 10 hrs ago #33
I pronounce it Ep-steen. Either way, Emile 19 hrs ago #11
If the guy called himself steen.... usedtobedemgurl 17 hrs ago #14
My point is that I don't know him personally, I just read the name FakeNoose 17 hrs ago #15
Sure, and your point is valid. usedtobedemgurl 17 hrs ago #16
No, no...it's not pronounced "Franken - Stein" haele 12 hrs ago #29
. Rstrstx 11 hrs ago #31
This message was self-deleted by its author LtTx 17 hrs ago #17
Evidently that's what the child sex trafficker told his students. Kid Berwyn 15 hrs ago #19
You'd be surprised at how many people pronounce it "steen." ananda 15 hrs ago #20
;-{) THIS Goonch 13 hrs ago #26
Awesome! I want one! FakeNoose 12 hrs ago #27
Ep - stein. One does not call the Iconic Austrian-German Tankard haele 12 hrs ago #28
Yes Bayard 12 hrs ago #30
I was a little surprised to hear it pronounced with the "ee" sound fujiyamasan 11 hrs ago #32
The correct pronunciation of a name, is how the person says it themself. RandomNumbers 10 hrs ago #34
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