The spelling of the Polish surname "Makowski" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription. The first syllable "Ma" is pronounced as "ma" (mɑ), with a low back vowel. The second syllable "ko" is pronounced as "ko" (kɔ), with an open-mid back vowel. The third syllable "wski" is pronounced as "vski" (vskʲi), with a voiced postalveolar fricative and a palatalized "s" sound. Therefore, the correct spelling of the word "Makowski" reflects its pronunciation in IPA transcription.
The word Makowski is a surname of Polish origin. Surnames in Poland often derive from the names of places, occupations, or personal characteristics. In the case of Makowski, it is derived from the name of a place called Maków or Maków Mazowiecki. Maków comes from the Polish word mak, meaning poppy, which refers to the red flowering plants. The surname Makowski means of/from Maków or related to Maków.