The correct spelling of the verb phrase "were strike" is actually "were struck". The past participle form of the verb "strike" is "struck", which is pronounced /strʌk/. In this case, "were" is used as the auxiliary verb to form the past tense. The correct pronunciation for "were struck" is /wɜr strʌk/. It is important to use the correct spelling and pronunciation of words to ensure effective communication and avoid confusion.