The spelling of "were the opinion" is straightforward, with each word being pronounced as it is spelled. "Were" is pronounced as "wɜːr", with a long "e" sound and a silent "e" at the end. "The" is pronounced as "ði", with a voiced "th" sound. "Opinion" is pronounced as "əˈpɪnjən", with a schwa sound at the beginning, a short "i" sound, and a "j" sound represented by "i". This phrase indicates that something was believed or thought to be true.