The phrase "wert on par with" is spelled using the English language's standard spelling rules, despite the archaic verb form "wert," which is simply an older version of "were." In IPA phonetic transcription, "wert" is pronounced as /wɜːt/, with the long vowel sound "er" followed by the "t" consonant sound. This type of spelling is commonly used in older texts, but may not be found in modern writing or speech.