The spelling of the word "Whetstine" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first sound in the word is the "w" sound, which is represented by the IPA symbol /w/. The second sound is the "eh" sound, represented by the symbol /ɛ/. The third sound is the "t" sound, represented by the symbol /t/. The fourth sound is the "s" sound, represented by the symbol /s/. The final sound is the "tine" sound, which is a combination of the sounds /t/ and /aɪn/. This unique spelling helps to distinguish the word from similar-sounding words like "Wetstone."