Look up the word in the dictionary using your best guess on how to spell it. Turn to the part of the dictionary listing words that start with this letter. Then find the section that lists words starting with the first two letters of your word. Scan these pages for the word you are looking for.
Look up the word under several sections if the word begins with a sound that can be spelled multiple ways. For example, the "eff" sound may begin with either "f" and "ph").
Search an electronic dictionary, such as software for an encyclopedia or dictionary (encyclopedias often have dictionary capabilities), or an online dictionary. Search for the word using your best phonetic guess, then look at the "Did you mean" options that pop up. Click on a word to read the definition.
Type the word into a search engine. If you type "spell" and your word spelled phonetically, the search engine will offer to search for the word, as it is correctly spelled. Click on a link to read the definition.
Try a few different spellings if your initial spelling is getting you nowhere.