The spelling "wast awe of" may seem unusual to some English speakers, but it actually follows the rules of English phonetics. In IPA transcription, it would be written as /wɑst ɔv/, with the "a" representing the broad "ah" sound in "wast" and the "o" standing for the short "o" sound in "awe" and "of". The silent "e" at the end of "waste" indicates a long vowel sound. Together, these sounds create the unusual but correct spelling of "wast awe of".