The spelling of the word "WDPENN" may seem confusing at first glance, but it follows the conventions of using letters to represent sounds in the English language. "W" represents the sound /w/, "D" represents the sound /d/, and "PENN" represents the sounds /p ɛ n/. The initial "W" is silent, as in "write" or "wrist," so the word is pronounced as "d-pen." WDPENN is also the abbreviation for William Penn, the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.