The spelling of the word "Kotowski" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription. The word is pronounced as /kəˈtɒfski/. The first syllable, "ko," is pronounced with a short "u" sound, represented by the schwa symbol /ə/. The second syllable, "tow," contains the diphthong /aʊ/, which sounds like "ow" in "cow." The third syllable, "ski," is pronounced with a short "i" sound, represented by the symbol /ɪ/. Overall, "Kotowski" is spelled according to the English phonetic rules.