The spelling of the word "gey" may seem unusual to some due to its uncommon usage. However, it is a legitimate word derived from the Scottish dialect that means "very" or "awfully". Its spelling corresponds to the phonetic transcription of the word with /ɡɛ/ followed by /i/ diphthong, resulting in /ɡeɪ/. The pronunciation of "gey" should be similar to "gay" but with a distinct "g" sound at the beginning, which can be challenging for non-native English speakers.