The phrase 'were on the back of' is spelled with the /w/ sound followed by the /ɜr/ vowel sound, represented by the letters 'w-e-r-e'. The next three words 'on the' are pronounced with the /ɒ/ vowel sound as represented by the letter 'o'. Finally, 'back of' is pronounced with the /b/ consonant sound, followed by the /æ/ vowel sound and the /k/ consonant sound, represented by 'b-a-c-k'. The IPA phonetic transcription of this phrase is /wɜr ɒn ði bæk ɒv/.