The phrase "wast a member" is spelled with the silent "w" at the beginning of the first word. The correct spelling is "was a member," with a long "a" sound that is represented in IPA phonetic transcription as /wɑz ə ˈmɛmbər/. The word "was" is pronounced with an unvoiced "s" sound at the end, while "member" has a schwa sound in the second syllable. This phrase is commonly used to discuss past membership or participation in an organization, club, or group.