The following is a list of commonly used hieroglyphs as organized by Sir Alan H. Gardiner in his Egyptian Grammar. The signs are organized into 26 main categories followed by 3 sections that list hieroglyphs by their shape. Choose from any of the links below to guide yourself to a specific category.
Gardiner Number | Hieroglyph | Description of Glyph |
Details |
U1 | Sickle | Phono. m3. In m33 “see,” 3sḫ “reap.” | |
U2 | Var. of U1 | Use as U1. | |
U3 | Combination of U1 + D4 | Phono. m3. In m33 “see.” | |
U4 | Combination of U1 + Aa11 | Phono. m3ʿ. In m3ʿ “true.” | |
U5 | Var. of U4 | Use as U4. | |
U6 | Hoe | Phono. mr. In mri “love.” | |
U7 | Var. of U6 | Use as U6. | |
U8 | Hoe | Phono. ḥn. In ḥn “hoe.” | |
U9 | Grain measure with grain streaming outwards | Det. in bdt “emmer,” ḫ3i “measure,” ḥq3t “hekat measure.” | |
U10 | Combination of U9 + M33 | Ideo. in it “barley.” | |
U11 | Combination of S38 + U9 | Ideo. in ḥq3t “hekat measure.” | |
U12 | Combination of D50 + U9 | Ideo. in ḥq3t “hekat measure.” | |
U13 | Plow | Phono. šnʿ. In šnʿ “repel.” Phono hb. In hb “plow.” | |
U14 | Two branches joined | Phono. šnʿ. In šnʿ “repel.” | |
U15 | Sled | Phono. tm. In tm “be complete,” ḥtm “perish.” | |
U16 | Sled with jackal head bearing a load | Det. in bi3 “wonder.” | |
U17 | Pick with pool | Phono. grg. In grg “establish, snare,” grg “falshood, lie.” | |
U18 | Var. U17 | Use as U17. | |
U19 | Adze | Phono. nw. In nw “this.” | |
U20 | Var. of U19 | Use as U19 | |
U21 | Adze with wood block | Phono. stp/sṯp. In stp “choose.” | |
U22 | Chisel | Det. in mnḫ “efficient,” mnḫ “carve.” | |
U23 | Chisel | Phono. mr. In mr “ill,” smr “friend.” Phono. 3b. In 3bi “desire.” | |
U24 | Drill for stone | Ideo. in ḥmt “craft, art.” | |
U25 | Var. of U24 | Use as U24. | |
U26 | Drill for beads | Ideo. in wb3 “open.” | |
U27 | Var. of U26 | Use as U26. | |
U28 | Fire drill | Phono. ḏ3. In ʿnḫ.(w) (w)ḏ3 snb “may he live, be prosperous, be healthy.” (L.P.H.) | |
U29 | Var. of U28 | Use as U28. | |
U30 | Kiln | Phono. t3. In št3 “hot,” t3 “mysterious. | |
U31 | Baker’s rake | Det. or Ideo. in rtḥty “baker,” rtḥ “restrain.” | |
U32 | Mortar and pestle | Det. in smn “press down,” smn “establish.” | |
U33 | Pestle | Phono. ti. | |
U34 | Soindle | Phono. ḫsf. In ḫsf “repel.” | |
U35 | Combination of U34 + I9 | Phono. ḫsf. | |
U36 | Club used in washing | Phono. ḥm. In ḥm “slave,” ḥm “Majesty.” | |
U37 | Razor | Det. in ẖʿq “shave.” | |
U38 | Scale | Det. or Ideo. in mḫ3t “scale.” | |
U39 | Scale post | Det. in wsṯt “post,” wṯs, ṯsi “raise, lift.” | |
U40 | Var. of U39 | Use as U39 | |
U41 | Plumb bob | Det. in tḫ “plumb bob.” |