Trying to write out Arabic words phonetically (transliteration) can be really tricky and confusing. Arabic has an entirely different alphabet and different sounds. So when speakers of different languages and accents try to write Arabic words according to how they sound to them, the result is many different spellings of the same word. There is really no one absolute way of spelling out an Arabic word.
Good examples would be the cities of Mecca (or Makkah), and Medina (or Madinah).
I have taken Arabic classes with women from other countries, and when I compare how we phonetically write the Arabic sounds/words out, they are always different - because we hear different sounds.
The photos in this post show different ways of spelling the same word - Hindawia or Hendaweyyah? They are both acceptable - and I've seen this word spelled several other ways too!
The photos in this post show different ways of spelling the same word - Hindawia or Hendaweyyah? They are both acceptable - and I've seen this word spelled several other ways too!
