The correct spelling of the phrase "wast the cards" is actually "wash the cards". The "t" in "wast" is a common error caused by confusion with the past tense of "wash", which is "washed". The correct pronunciation of "wash" is /wɒʃ/, with the "sh" sound represented by the phonetic symbol /ʃ/. This highlights the importance of paying attention to the spelling and pronunciation of words, and double-checking them to ensure they are correct.