The spelling of the word "sharpless" might appear confusing at first glance, but it can be easily deciphered using the IPA phonetic transcription. The "sh" sound at the beginning of the word is spelled with the letters "sh", as in "sheep" or "ship". The "ar" sound is spelled with the letters "ar", as in "car" or "tar". The "p" sound is spelled with the letter "p", as in "pie" or "pink". And finally, the "-less" suffix is spelled with the letters "-lɛs", with the "ɛ" sound represented by the letter "e", as in "less" or "mess".