Reference · Symbols · Egyptian hieroglyphs

Egyptian hieroglyphs

54 symbols. Egyptian is written with consonants and leaves the vowels out, so a sign's value is given here as the consonants it spells — and the Gardiner number beneath it is how that sign is referred to in every grammar. Twenty-four of them stand for single sounds, which is the set a scribe reached for to spell a name that had no Egyptian writing. Write a name in them. Where each part comes from.

The signs that stand for single sounds 24

  • Vulture

    ꜣ one consonant

    Gardiner G001

  • Reed

    ỉ one consonant

    Gardiner M017

  • Double reed

    y one consonant

    Gardiner M017A

  • Forearm

    ꜥ one consonant

    Gardiner D036

  • Quail chick

    w one consonant

    Gardiner G043

  • Foot

    b one consonant

    Gardiner D058

  • Stool

    p one consonant

    Gardiner Q003

  • Horned viper

    f one consonant

    Gardiner I009

  • Owl

    m one consonant

    Gardiner G017

  • Water

    n one consonant

    Gardiner N035

  • Mouth

    r one consonant

    Gardiner D021

  • Shelter

    h one consonant

    Gardiner O004

  • Wick

    ḥ one consonant

    Gardiner V028

  • Placenta

    ḫ one consonant

    Gardiner AA001

  • Belly

    ẖ one consonant

    Writes ẖ.t — belly, body

    Gardiner F032

  • Folded cloth

    s one consonant

    Gardiner S029

  • Pool

    š one consonant

    Gardiner N037

  • Hill

    ḳ one consonant

    Gardiner N029

  • Basket

    k one consonant

    Gardiner V031

  • Jar stand

    g one consonant

    Gardiner W011

  • Bread

    t one consonant

    Gardiner X001

  • Tethering rope

    ṯ one consonant

    Gardiner V013

  • Hand

    d one consonant

    Gardiner D046

  • Cobra

    ḏ one consonant

    Gardiner I010

Borrowed to spell a foreign name 1

  • Recumbent lion

    rw two consonants, in that order

    Gardiner E023

Amulets and emblems 9

  • Ankh

    Writes ꜥnḫ — life

    Gardiner S034

  • Djed pillar

    ḏd two consonants, in that order

    Gardiner R011

  • Was sceptre

    wꜣs three consonants, in that order

    Gardiner S040

  • Tyet, the knot of Isis

    Writes tỉ.t — Tit-amulet

    Gardiner V039

  • Wedjat, the eye of Horus

    Writes wḏꜣ.t — Udjat eye

    Gardiner D010

  • Scarab

    Writes ḫpr — to become

    Gardiner L001

  • Shen ring

    Writes šnỉ — to surround, to encircle

    Gardiner V009

  • Sa, the shelter

    Writes sꜣ — protection

    Gardiner V017

  • Sistrum

    Writes sḫm — classifier: sistrum

    Gardiner Y008

What a person is made of 4

  • Ka

    Writes kꜣ — spirit, essence

    Gardiner D028

  • Ba

    Writes bꜣ — soul

    Gardiner G053

  • Ib, the heart

    Writes ỉb — heart, mind, wish

    Gardiner F034

  • Nefer

    nfr three consonants, in that order

    Gardiner F035

Gods, and the creatures they are written with 5

  • Netjer, a god

    Writes nṯr — god

    Gardiner R008

  • The falcon of Horus

    Writes ḥr — Horus

    Gardiner G005

  • The ibis of Thoth

    Writes ḏḥwty — Thot

    Gardiner G026

  • The jackal of Anubis

    Writes ỉnp.w — Anubis

    Gardiner E015

  • Golden Horus

    Writes ḥr-nbw — golden Horus

    Gardiner G008

Sun, sky and time 6

  • The sun, Ra

    Writes rꜥ — the sun, Re

    Gardiner N005

  • Akhet, the horizon

    Writes ꜣḫ.t — horizon

    Gardiner N027

  • Djet, eternity

    Writes ḏ.t — eternity

    Gardiner I011A

  • The feather

    šw two consonants, in that order

    Gardiner H006

  • Breath, wind

    Writes ṯꜣw — wind, breath, air

    Gardiner P005

  • Renpet, the year

    Writes rnp.t — year

    Gardiner M004

Rule, gold and stone 5

  • Heqa, the crook

    ḥḳꜣ three consonants, in that order

    Gardiner S038

  • The flail

    Writes nḫꜣḫꜣ — flagellum

    Gardiner S045

  • Nebu, gold

    Writes nbw — gold

    Gardiner S012

  • Pyramid

    Writes mr — classifier: pyramid, tomb

    Gardiner O024

  • Obelisk

    Writes tḫn — classifier: obelisk

    Gardiner O025