The spelling of "hankin" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) phonetic transcription. The word is pronounced /ˈhæŋkɪn/ and contains two distinct syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The first syllable is pronounced as "hang" with the letter "a" pronounced like the "a" in the word "cat," and the second syllable is pronounced as "kin" with the letter "i" pronounced like the "i" in the word "it." Thus, the correct spelling of this word is "hankin".