The spelling of the word "handgun city" can be broken down phonetically using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first syllable "hand" is pronounced /hænd/ with the 'a' sound as in 'cat' and the 'nd' sound being a nasal sound. The second syllable "gun" is pronounced /gʌn/ with the 'u' sound as in 'cub' and the 'n' sound being nasal. The final syllable "city" is pronounced /ˈsɪti/ with the 'i' sound as in 'bit' and the 't' sound. Together, the word is pronounced as /hændˈɡʌn ˈsɪti/.