You're not wrong, there are many different examples in the English language that I tend to notice about this phenomenon.
Like for example, the names of people can be put here to light.
I have a deaf friend by the name of Arni. (Names altered to protect the innocent).
When he is with the hearing, he tends to notice that the hearing write his name as Arnie. He doesn't really blame them, but notices this pattern.
Hearing have gone to write his name as Arnie, Arny, but rarely Arni the way it is written. Why? Well, from a phonetically based perspective, you can see that they all sound the same each way it is pronounced. Even if you write it incorrectly, chances are you probably can legally pass the speech form in pronunciation.
Perhaps certain people would've met more Arnies or Arnys more than Arni's, but this goes in light to show that they most likely had written it the way they are accustomed to - how they pronounce it, or from what I was hypothesizing, how they were raised. This also goes in question of what I was asking about the definitely-definately part. Like, Oral vs ASL environment raised.
Whatever the real answer or concept is, we don't have it until someone takes the resources and the reins to actually go out there and find all these people to question and conduct research on them. It would appear the best place to do this is probably at a school or college.
Another word that popped to me (thanks, Botti) is the word "surprised". I have also noticed that the hearing tend to write it the way it is phonetically said as well, in the form of "suprised". Like I've said.. this is not a orthographical error due to the fact that it passes when said in speech.
