The spelling of the word "Leod" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) phonetic transcription. The first letter "L" represents the voiced alveolar lateral approximant sound /l/, while the second letter "e" is pronounced as the close-mid front unrounded vowel sound /e/. The third letter "o" is pronounced as the close-mid back rounded vowel sound /o/, and the final letter "d" represents the voiced alveolar plosive sound /d/. Therefore, "Leod" is pronounced as /liːɒd/.
The word "Leod" comes from Old English "lēod", which means "a person" or "a man". It is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*leudaz", which had a similar meaning. The word has been used to refer to people in general, regardless of gender, and eventually evolved into the modern English word "folk".