The spelling of "am substantive" may appear confusing due to the silent letters within the word. However, the IPA phonetic transcription accurately depicts its pronunciation as "æm səbˈstæntɪv". The "a" sound is pronounced as in "cat", followed by a short "u" sound in "sub". The "e" in "live" is silent, while "tive" is pronounced with a short "i" sound in "pit". Therefore, the correct spelling of "am substantive" reflects its correct pronunciation.