The correct spelling of the phrase "gotten lay land" is actually "gotten lea land." The word "lea" refers to open land or a meadow, and it is spelled with the "ea" digraph pronounced as a long "e" sound, represented in IPA as /li/. This may cause confusion for some since "ea" can also be pronounced as a long "a" sound, as in "great" or "streak." However, in this context, it is pronounced "lee" and therefore spelled "lea."