The spelling of the word "nickelson" may appear confusing at first glance. However, it is a relatively straightforward spelling that corresponds to the pronunciation of the word. The IPA phonetic transcription of nickelson is /nɪkəlsən/. The first syllable, "nick," is pronounced with a short i sound, followed by the schwa sound in the second syllable, "-el." The final syllable, "-son," is pronounced with an unstressed o sound. The spelling "nickelson" is a phonetic representation of this pronunciation.