The spelling of the word "was awe" seems confusing, but it actually makes sense once you understand the phonetics. In IPA, "was" is pronounced as /wʌz/, while "awe" is pronounced as /ɔː/. When you combine these sounds, it becomes /wʌz ɔː/, which appears to be "was awe". However, the correct way to write this word is "was awed", where "awed" means to be filled with awe or wonder. So, next time you come across this spelling, know that it's just a combination of two separate words.