The word "inning prison" may seem confusing at first glance, but its spelling can be explained through IPA phonetic transcription. "Inning" is pronounced as /ˈɪnɪŋ/, with the "i" sound as in "sit" and a stressed "ng" sound at the end. "Prison" is pronounced as /ˈprɪz(ə)n/, with a short "i" as in "pin" and a soft "z" sound. Thus, when combined, "inning prison" refers to a baseball term representing the period of play during which one team has the opportunity to bat.