The proper spelling of the phrase "wert able to" is actually "were able to". This phrase is in the past tense and indicates the ability to accomplish a task. The first word "were" is pronounced /wɜr/ in IPA phonetic transcription, with the "w" sound followed by a short "ur" sound. The second word "able" is pronounced /ˈeɪ.bəl/, with the stress on the first syllable and a long "a" sound. Lastly, the word "to" is pronounced /tu/, with a sharp "t" sound at the beginning and a short "oo" sound to end the word.