The name Shawnell is spelled as /ʃɔːˈnɛl/. IPA phonetic transcription can help explain the spelling of this name. The first sound, /ʃ/, is a voiceless postalveolar fricative, pronounced by putting the tip of the tongue behind the front teeth. The second sound, /ɔː/, is a mid-back rounded vowel, pronounced with a rounded mouth. The third sound, /n/, is a voiced alveolar nasal, pronounced with the tongue touching the alveolar ridge. The final sound, /l/, is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant, pronounced by touching the tongue to the alveolar ridge and letting the air flow around the sides of the tongue.