The spelling of "Gerald Sussman" can be explained using IPA phonetic transcription. "Gerald" is spelled /ˈdʒɛrəld/, with a hard "g" sound at the beginning, followed by an "e" sound as in "bed," and then a stressed "a" as in "cat." The final syllable contains an unstressed "a" and an "l" sound. "Sussman" is spelled /ˈsʌsmən/, with a short "u" sound followed by an "s" sound and two syllables containing an "ə" sound, which is similar to the "uh" sound in "button." Both names are pronounced in American English.