The spelling of the word "doest" in the phrase "doest the washing" comes from Middle English, where the second person singular present tense form of "do" was "doest." This form is rarely used in modern English, where "do" is used for all persons in the present tense. The pronunciation of "doest" is /dʌst/ in IPA phonetic transcription, with the stress on the first syllable. While "doest" may seem like archaic or incorrect spelling to modern readers, it is a legitimate historical form of the word.