The spelling of the phrase "wert ahead" may seem unusual to some, but it follows the conventions of Early Modern English. In IPA phonetic transcription, the pronunciation is /wɜːt əˈhɛd/. The word "wert" is an archaic second-person singular past tense form of "be", while "ahead" means in front or in advance. Together, the phrase means "you were in front". Although not commonly used in modern English, this phrase can be found in literature from the Renaissance period.