The word "HOLDES" is spelled with the letter "E" at the end, which can be confusing to some. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /ˈhəʊldɪz/, where the "e" at the end is pronounced as a short "i" sound. This is because "e" at the end of a word tends to signal a different pronunciation than when it appears in the middle of a word. In this case, it indicates the plural form of "hold," meaning more than one thing is being held.