The word "preAmerican" refers to the time period before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. The spelling of this word follows the phonetic principles of the English language. It is pronounced as /pri-əˈmɛrəkən/, with emphasis on the "pre" syllable. The first "e" is pronounced as a schwa sound, while the "a" after it is pronounced as the short "e" sound. The stress then falls on the "mer" syllable, followed by the "i" as in "hit" sound. Finally, it ends with the schwa sound and the "n" sound.