The word "Wadell" is spelled with two syllables: /wəˈdɛl/. The first syllable, "wa," is pronounced with an unstressed /wə/ sound, while the second syllable, "dell," has the stressed vowel sound of /ɛ/. This word can also be spelled as "Waddell," which is the more common spelling. The origin of this surname is Scottish, and it means "wet valley" in Gaelic. Spelling rules can be tricky, but understanding phonetic transcriptions can help clarify pronunciation and spelling.