This dictionary is still being developed.
Please note the following shorthand:
● CA: Classical Arabic, i.e. al-Fusha
● ECA: Egyptian Colloquial Arabic
● LCA: Levantine Colloquial Arabic

This dictionary is mainly based on the spoken language of Cairo. That said, when I come across examples that are specific to certain localities (such as Alexandria), I try to specify that. Please also note the following acronyms:

● CA: Classical Arabic, i.e. al-Fusha
● ECA: Egyptian Colloquial Arabic
● UEA: Upper Egyptian Arabic. This is the more formal speech and tends to be used in formal settings such as meetings, academic settings, etc. Though grammatically Egyptian Colloquial, it starts to bleed into Classical Arabic (Fusha). It is closest to what el-Sayyid Badawi called "عامية المثقفين " or the intellectuals' colloquial.
● LLEA: Lower Level Egyptian Arabic: This is not simply less formal speech, but is equivalent to what el-Sayyid Badawi called "عامية الأميين" meaning the illiterates' colloquial. It refers to what is spoken by people who are illiterate and have no training in al-Fusha.

I've marked examples with either an [L] (for Lebanese) or [S] for Syrian, (and other localities as they come up) so that some differentiation can be made. Note that this represents where I heard the word, not necessarily the only place it is used. For instance, If a word is labeled as Syrian, it doesn't mean it is only used in Syria, just that the context I heard it in was Syrian. I hope that this gives a more honest representation of the language and shows the limits of my own knowledge and experience.

Note the following shorthand:
● [CA] Classical Arabic, i.e. al-Fusha
● [S] Syrian (usually the assumption is that it is Damascene)
● [L] Lebanese (usually the assumption is that it is Beiruti)
● [P] Palestinian (usually West Bank)
● [J] Jordanian (usually Amman)
● [V] Levantine, meaning generally used across the region, though the pronunciation would of course vary.

● If there is a specific locality that a word is used in, I try to specify the city. While I spell out most city names, a couple times I've simply put in shorthand such as [S,A] for Syrian, Aleppo and [D] for Damascus.
There are also some weird letters and transliteration I'm experimenting with. Most should be standard practice, but watch out for:
● a qaf / fa with three dots under it (ڥ) represents a qaf that can be said as a hamza.
● a qaf with four dots on top of it represents a qaf said like a hard g
● a "normal" qaf then means either that my notes did not specify a specific pronunciation or it is a real qaf (the latter specified as a (ʠ) in the transliteration).

Words are marked with a tag, such as [M], depending on where it they from. Note that this represents where I heard the word, not necessarily the only place it is used. For instance, If a word is labeled as Moroccan, it doesn't mean it is only used in Morocco, just that the context I heard it in was Moroccan. I hope that this gives a more honest representation of the language and shows the limits of my own knowledge and experience.

Note the following shorthand:
● [CA] Classical Arabic, i.e. al-Fusha
● [M] Moroccan
● [A] Algerian
● [L] Libyan
● [T] Tunisian

● If there is a specific locality that a word is used in, I try to specify the city.
● Pronunciation will often vary by region, such as a ق being said either /q/ or /g/. Any pronunciation notes included in the dictionary are based on how it was heard, and users should be aware that it might vary depending on region.
● In terms of spelling, I try as much as possible to adhere to Classical Arabic’s spelling. However, at times I include multiple variations of a word when it seems that colloquial spellings are widespread
● Although many dictionaries use a kaf with three dots (ڭ) to represent a /g/ sound, this dictionary uses گ . However, if the spelling was originally with ق, the ق is typically retained.