The spelling of the word "Burlie" may seem unusual, but it can be explained through phonetic transcription. The word is pronounced as /bɜːli/, with the first syllable sounding similar to "bur" and the second syllable sounding like "lee." The spelling of the word follows the rule in English that a "u" followed by an "r" is pronounced like "er." Therefore, the "u" in "Burlie" is pronounced as "er," resulting in a unique spelling for an otherwise common English name.