The spelling of the word "herter" can be confusing due to its silent "h". In IPA phonetic transcription, the word is pronounced /ɜːrtər/. The first two symbols indicate the "er" sound as in "serve". The next symbol represents the "t" sound followed by the "uh" sound represented by the schwa symbol. Lastly, the "r" sound is added. While the spelling may be deceptive, understanding the phonetic transcription can aid in proper pronunciation.