Correct spelling, explanation: destroy is a word of Latin origin (destruere). It’s an interesting word because while we recognise there is the prefix de-, there is no word such as to stroy. So, while it may seem like changing the spelling to fit the pronunciation is not a big deal, it is important to keep the prefix de- intact. Even though we do not have the base word for destroy in English (in Latin it was actually struere, which we also use in construct), we know the meaning of the prefix as to undo something which gives us a glimpse of the word’s meaning.

Definition of destroy:
Verb
1. To damage, break something
He knew that he would destroy my trust by lying but he did it anyway.
We don’t want a car because we fear it will destroy our furniture.

Incorrect spelling, explanation: when reading distroy out loud, it may seem like it works here. But it is important to remember that there is a huge difference between the prefix di- and de-, as the first means two, and the latter to undo. In this case, we definitely want the second meaning, which is why, based on intuition, you can make out that destroy is the correct spelling.

Incorrect spelling

Incorrect spelling

Incorrect spelling