The word "bicknell" is spelled with two consonants and three vowels. Specifically, it begins with the voiced bilabial plosive /b/, followed by the front unrounded vowel /ɪ/, the voiceless velar plosive /k/, the same front unrounded vowel /ɪ/, the lateral approximant /l/, and ends with the voiced alveolar nasal /n/. The IPA phonetic transcription helps us understand the precise sounds that comprise the word and thus enables correct spelling.