The spelling of the word "wretchful" might seem unusual, but it follows the regular rules of English spelling. The first syllable is pronounced as "retch" (IPA: /rɛtʃ/), followed by the suffix "-ful", which means "full of" or "characterized by". The spelling "-ch" is used to represent the sound /tʃ/ in many English words, such as "church". Therefore, the spelling of "wretchful" (IPA: /ˈrɛtʃ.fʊl/) indicates that something is full of wretchedness or characterized by misery and suffering.