The spelling of the word "ground puppy" may seem confusing, but it can be explained phonetically using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first syllable, "ground," is pronounced as /ɡraʊnd/, with the "ou" sound like in "out." The second syllable, "pup," is pronounced as /pʌp/ with a short "u" sound like in "cup." The final syllable, "py," is pronounced as /pi/, with a long "i" sound like in "pie." Altogether, "ground puppy" is pronounced as /ɡraʊnd pʌp.i/.