The spelling of the word "hartigan" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as [hɑrtɪɡən]. The "h" is pronounced as a voiced "h" sound, followed by the "ar" sound as in "car." The "t" is pronounced as a voiceless "t" sound, followed by the short "i" sound as in "hit" and the "g" pronounced as a hard "g" sound. The final syllable contains the schwa sound, which is pronounced with a weak, indistinct vowel sound.