The spelling of the word "knisley" is unique and has an interesting phonetic transcription. The word is pronounced as /ˈnɪs.li/ with the first letter "k" being silent. The "k" is only present in the original German spelling, but it’s been dropped in English. The word originated from the German language and is typically used as a surname. The spelling of "knisley" highlights the importance of understanding phonetics and the influence of different languages on English vocabulary.