The spelling of the word "melmed" is not immediately obvious from its pronunciation. Using IPA phonetic transcription, we can see that the first syllable, "mel," is pronounced like "mɛl," with an "eh" sound. The second syllable, "med," is pronounced with a short "e" sound, like "mɛd." The spelling "m-e-l-m-e-d" accurately reflects the pronunciation of this word, which is often used as a surname.