The spelling of the word "Tanksley" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first sound is "t" which is pronounced as /t/. This is followed by "a" pronounced as /æ/ which is a short, open vowel sound. Next is "n" pronounced as /n/ and "k" pronounced as /k/. The second syllable starts with a long "s" sound pronounced as /s/, followed by "l" pronounced as /l/ and "ey" pronounced as /eɪ/ which indicates a diphthong sound. Overall, the spelling of "Tanksley" follows the phonetic rules of English language.