The spelling of the word "donahey" may seem unusual, but it can be explained through its phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The word is pronounced as /dɒnəhi/ or "dawn-uh-hey" in English. The "o" is pronounced as "ah" and the "a" as "uh." The "e" is silent, while the stress is placed on the second syllable. While the spelling may be confusing at first, knowing the phonetic transcription can help in understanding and correctly pronouncing the word.