The spelling of the word "slavest" might seem confusing at first glance. However, it follows the pattern of the past tense verb inflection in English. The IPA phonetic transcription for the word is /ˈsleɪvɪst/. The -est suffix is added to indicate that the action of being a slave happened in the past. Therefore, "slavest" is the past form of the verb "slave," meaning to be held in bondage or forced labor. It may not be commonly used today but is an important reminder of the history of slavery.