The spelling of the word PURCH may seem odd, but it actually represents a common English sound pattern. The IPA phonetic transcription for PURCH is /pɜːrtʃ/, which shows that the "u" in PURCH is pronounced with an "er" sound, like in the word "herd." The "ch" at the end is pronounced like the "ch" in "church." This spelling pattern is used in words like "nurture" and "torture," and is simply an example of the quirks of the English language.