How Do You Spell TOWNES?
Pronunciation: [tˈa͡ʊnz] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "townes" may seem odd with its additional "e", but it is a common variant in many surnames. The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is /taʊnz/, which reflects the American English pronunciation. The added "e" in "townes" does not affect the pronunciation, but rather serves as a way to indicate that the "s" is pronounced as /z/. This convention is also seen in other surnames such as "Jones" and "Hayes".
