The word "kotlikoff" is a surname that can be pronounced as /ˈkɒtlɪkɒf/. This unique spelling reflects its origins from the Russian language, where the letter "к" is spelled as "k" and pronounced as /k/, followed by the letters "о" and "т" which are spelled as "o" and "t" respectively and pronounced as /ɒ/ and /t/. Finally, the suffix "-ikoff" is a Slavic suffix that means "son of" and is also spelled as "-ov" in some languages.