The spelling of "agasp" may seem unusual, but it is a valid word referring to someone who is gasping for breath or in shock. Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), we can break down the word's pronunciation as [əˈɡæsp], with a schwa sound for the first syllable and a hard "g" sound for the second. The "a" in the second syllable is pronounced like in "cat," and the "s" is a voiceless alveolar fricative. The final "p" is pronounced with a puff of air, indicating an unreleased stop.