The spelling of the word "richea" may seem confusing, but it follows the rules of English phonetics. The correct pronunciation of the word is /rɪˈkiə/, with a short "i" sound followed by a schwa sound. The letter "e" at the end of the word is silent, which is a common occurrence in English words. When encountering unfamiliar spellings, it's always helpful to consult an IPA phonetic transcription to understand the proper pronunciation.