The word "MERACE" follows the English orthography where letters do not always correspond to their respective sounds. The phonetic transcription of this word is /mɛːreɪs/. It has six letters but only four sounds. The vowel "e" is pronounced as "ay" and "a" represents the short "e" sound. Also, the letter "c" denotes the "s" sound. English spelling can be tricky, but with practice and the use of phonetic symbols such as IPA, learners can improve their spelling skills.