The spelling of the word "was suspense" can be explained using the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). The first sound in "was" is the voiced velar consonant /w/. The second sound is the short vowel sound /ɒ/. The final sound is the voiceless alveolar consonant /z/. In "suspense", the first sound is the voiced alveolar consonant /s/. The second sound is the short vowel sound /ʌ/. The third sound is the voiceless bilabial plosive /p/. The fourth sound is the voiced alveolar fricative /s/.