Gerken is a family name that is spelled with the phonetic transcription /ˈɡɜːrkən/. The first three letters "Ger" are pronounced with a hard "g" sound, followed by the "er" sound which is pronounced with an unstressed short "uh" sound. The last two letters "ken" are pronounced with a long "e" sound and a soft "n" sound. It is important to correctly spell names like Gerken to ensure proper pronunciation and recognition.