Alkali metal stannides are mostly ionic, sometimes with the stannide ion (Sn4−), and sometimes with more complex Zintl ions such as , which appears in tetrapotassium nonastannide (K4Sn9).
ˈælkəlˌaɪ mˈɛɾəl stˈænaɪdz ɑːɹ mˈoʊstli aɪˈɑːnɪk, sˈʌmtaɪmz wɪððə stˈænaɪd ˈaɪɑːn ˌɛsˈɛn fˈoːɹ mˈaɪnəs, ænd sˈʌmtaɪmz wɪð mˈoːɹ kˈɑːmplɛks zˈɪntəl ˈaɪɑːnz sˈʌtʃ ɐz , wˌɪtʃ ɐpˈɪɹz ɪn tˌɛtɹɐpətˈæsiəm nˌɑːnɐstˈænaɪd kˈeɪ fˈoːɹ ˌɛsˈɛn nˈaɪn.