The spelling of the phrase "were on tail" may seem confusing at first glance, but it can be easily explained through phonetic transcription. The word "were" is pronounced as /wɜː/ with the "w" sound followed by the "er" sound and a long "e" adding emphasis. "On" is pronounced as /ɒn/ with the "o" sound followed by a nasal "n" sound, while "tail" is pronounced as /teɪl/ with a long "a" followed by the "l" sound. When put together, "were on tail" means to follow closely behind something or someone.