The spelling of the word "robey" can be confusing due to its unusual pronunciation. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /ˈrəʊbi/. This shows that the first syllable is pronounced using the vowel sound in "go" or "row", while the second syllable is pronounced using the vowel sound in "bee". The letter "y" at the end of the word represents the long "e" sound. Therefore, the correct spelling of this word is "robey", not "robei" or "roby".