The spelling of the word "afari" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first sound is represented by the letter "a," which is pronounced as a short "a" sound /ə/. The second sound is "f," which is pronounced as a voiceless labiodental fricative /f/. Lastly, the sound "ari" is represented by the letters "ar," which is pronounced as a diphthong /ɑːr/. Therefore, the IPA transcription of "afari" is /əˈfɑːri/.