The spelling of the name "Mary Doctor" is a common source of confusion. The correct spelling of the name is actually "Mary Docter." The pronunciation of "Docter" is often confused with the word "doctor," which is spelled with an "o." The phonetic transcription of "Mary Docter" is /ˈmɛri ˈdɒktər/. The first syllable, "Mary," is pronounced like "Merry" with a short "e" sound, and the second syllable, "Docter," is pronounced with a short "o" sound, followed by a "t" and "er" sound.