The spelling of the word "asylum" is fairly straightforward, but the pronunciation might throw you for a loop. The IPA phonetic transcription for "asylum" is /əˈsaɪləm/. To break it down: the first syllable is pronounced "uh," the second syllable is "sigh," and the last syllable is "lum." Similarly, the pronunciation of "ear" is /ɪr/, with a short "i" sound and no distinct "r" sound at the end. So when you put it all together, "asylum ear" is pronounced /əˈsaɪləm ɪr/.