The word "irtish" is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription /ˈɪrtɪʃ/. The first syllable is pronounced with the short vowel sound "i" and the "r" sound. The second syllable is pronounced with the "t" sound and the long "ee" sound. The final syllable is pronounced with the "sh" sound. The word refers to a river that flows through China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Correctly spelling geographical names is important so that they can be easily recognized and located on a map.
The word "irtish" is a transliteration of the Russian name for the river, "Irtysh". The name is believed to have originated from the Khakas word "Yrtysh", meaning "big and wide river". The Khakas are a Turkic ethnic group native to the region surrounding the river. Over time, the name was anglicized to "Irtysh" and eventually became "Irtish" in English.