The standard suite abbreviation is Ste, and in an address it marks a particular office or unit inside a larger building. The Postal Service writes it in capitals with no period, STE, while many people use Ste. with a period in letters and on business cards.
So if you see "Ste 300" in an address, it means Suite 300. You read it aloud as "suite," never letter by letter. It is the business cousin of Apt, which marks a unit in an apartment building.
Quick facts
Abbreviation
Ste, Ste. or STEStands for
SuitePeriod
Optional; the Postal Service leaves it offPlural
Stes. (rare)Used in
Office addresses, medical buildings, shipping labelsRelated
Apt, Bldg, Fl, Rm, UnitNot to be confused with
Ste. as in Sainte, a French place name
What does Ste stand for in an address?
Ste stands for suite, a set of rooms leased as one unit, usually by a business. Office towers, medical centers and shopping plazas give each unit a suite number so mail and visitors reach the right door.
On a doctor's letterhead: "880 River Park Blvd, Ste 210, Fresno, CA 93720." The building is at 880 River Park, and the office is unit 210, often on the second floor.
Suite numbers often hint at the floor. Ste 210 is usually on floor two, and Ste 1450 on floor fourteen, though each building sets its own system.
Suite abbreviation: Ste, Ste. or STE?
Each abbreviation of suite below is correct; pick one by the kind of document in front of you.
| Form | Where you see it | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| STE | Postal style, shipping labels, all caps addresses | 100 MAIN ST STE 4B |
| Ste | Most printed and typed addresses | 100 Main St, Ste 4B |
| Ste. | Letters and documents that use periods after short forms | 100 Main St., Ste. 4B |
| Suite | Formal letters, invitations, running text | Our office is in Suite 4B. |
Stay consistent. If you write St. with a period, write Ste. with one too. If you leave periods off, leave them off everywhere in the address.
Where the suite goes in an address
The suite belongs on the same line as the street address, after it. If that line gets too long, put it on the line above the street, never below the city.
- Best: 425 Oak Ave Ste 12
- Also fine: 425 Oak Ave, Ste 12
- If space is tight: Ste 12 on its own line, then 425 Oak Ave on the next line
A pound sign also works: "425 Oak Ave # 12." The Postal Service accepts it, but a clear word like Ste helps delivery staff and visitors. Online forms often have an "Address line 2" box, and that is where the suite usually goes.
Ste, Apt and other unit words
Suite is one of several unit labels you can use on the second part of an address line.
- Apt, apartment, for homes in a shared building. See the apartment abbreviation.
- Bldg, building, for a campus with several buildings. See the building abbreviation.
- Fl, floor, when a business takes a whole floor.
- Rm, room, common in schools and hospitals.
- Unit, written in full, used for condos and storage units.
Use the label the building itself uses. If the landlord calls it Suite 5, write Ste 5 rather than Apt 5.
Ste. that does not mean suite
In French place names, Ste. is short for Sainte, the female form of saint, as in Sault Ste. Marie. That Ste. comes before a name and is part of the town name itself. The suite version always sits before a number or a letter in a street address, so the two are easy to tell apart.
In hotels and software, the full word suite is usually written out: "a two-room suite," "an office software suite." The abbreviation is for addresses.
Suite in sample lines
- "Please send the signed lease to 77 Harbor Way, Ste 900."
- "Check in at Ste 105 on the first floor."
- "Our new address is 2200 Elm St., Ste. 3C, Denver, CO 80202."
- "Address line 2: STE 410"
Find more short forms for forms and addresses in our common abbreviations list, or learn the basics in how to abbreviate.
Questions people ask
How do you abbreviate suite?
The abbreviation for suite is Ste. In postal style it is written STE with no period, and in many letters it is written Ste. with a period.
What does STE stand for?
In an address, STE stands for suite, an office or unit inside a building. It is followed by the suite number, such as STE 200.
Is it Ste or Ste. with a period?
Both are correct. The Postal Service leaves the period off, while some writers add it to match other short forms like St. and Ave.
Can I use # instead of Ste?
Yes, the pound sign is accepted for unit numbers. Writing Ste is clearer, though, especially when the building uses suite numbers on its doors.
How do you say Ste out loud?
Say the full word, suite, which sounds like sweet. People do not read it as S T E.