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 Glyphs | Details |
F1 | Head of ox | Ideo. in offering formulas for k3 “cattle.” | |
F2 | Head of charging ox | Det. in ḏnd “rage.” | |
F3 | Head of hippopotamus | Phono. 3t. Det. or Ideo. in “moment, attack.” | |
F4 | Forepart of lion | Ideo. in ḥ3t “front,”ḥ3ty “heart.” | |
F5 | Head of bubalis | Phon. šs3. Det. and Ideo. in šs3 “skilled” and “prayer.” | |
F6 | Forepart of bubalis | Use as F5 | |
F7 | Head of ram | Det. in šft “ram’s head.” Det. or Ideo. in šfyt “worth, dignity.” | |
F8 | Forepart of ram | Use as F7 | |
F9 | Head of leopard | Det. or Ideo. in pḥty “strength.” | |
F10 | Head and neck of animal | Det. in ḫḫ “throat,” ʿm “swallow.” | |
F11 | O.K. form of F10 | Use as F10 | |
F12 | Head and neck of jackal | Phon. wsr. Ideo in wsrt “neck.” In wsr “powerful” | |
F13 | Horns of ox | Phon. wp. Ideo. in wpt “brow, beginning.” | |
F14 | Combination of F13 and M4 | Ideo. wpt-rnpt “Opening of the Year.” | |
F15 | Combination of F14 and N5 | Use as F14 | |
F16 | Horn | Phono. ʿb. Det. or Ideo. in db “horn,” ʿb “horn.” In m-ʿb “together with.” | |
F17 | Combination of F16 and D60 water vessel | Det. or Ideo. inʿbw “purification.” | |
F18 | Tusk of elephant | Phono. bḥ, ḥw. Det. and Ideo. in ibḥ “tooth.” Det. in sbḥ “cry.” | |
F19 | Jawbone of ox | Det. in ʿrt “jaw.” | |
F20 | Tongue | Phono. ns. In ns “tongue.” Ideo. in imy-r “overseer.” | |
F21 | Ear of ox | Phono. sḏm, idn. Det. or Ideo. in msḏr “ear. Ideo. sḏm, “hear.” | |
F22 | Hindquarters of leopard or lion | Phono. pḥ in “reach,” pḥty “strength.” Ideo. for pḥwy “end.” | |
F23 | Foreleg of ox | Det. or Ideo. in ḫpš “strong arm, leg.” | |
F24 | Reverse of F23 | Use as F23. | |
F25 | Leg and hoof of ox | Phono. wḥm in “hoof,” “repeat.” | |
F26 | Goatskin | Phono. ẖn. In ẖnw “interior,” ẖn “approach.” | |
F27 | Cowskin | Det. in dḥr “hide,” msk3 “skin.” | |
F28 | Var. of F27 | Phono. s3b. | |
F29 | Combination of F28 + arrow | Phono. st. Det. and Ideo. sti “pierce, shoot.” | |
F30 | Water skin | Phono. šd. In šdi “draw forth,” šdw “water skin.” | |
F31 | Three fox skins | Phono. ms. In msi “give birth.” | |
F32 | Animal belly and tail | Phono. ẖ. Ideo. in ẖt “belly, body.” | |
F33 | Tail | Phono. sd. Det. and Ideo in sd “tail.” | |
F34 | Heart | Ideo. in ib “heart.” Det. of ” ḥ3ty “heart.” | |
F35 | Heart and windpipe | Phono. nfr. In nfr “good, beautiful.” | |
F36 | Lung and windpipe | Phono. sm3. In sm3 “unite” and “lung.” | |
F37 | Backbone and ribs | Det. or Ideo. in i3t “back.” Det. in psd “back.” | |
F38 | Var. of F37 | Det. in psd “back.” | |
F39 | Backbone and spinal cord | Det. and Ideo. in im3ḫ “spine” and “honor.” | |
F40 | Backbone and spinal cord at each end | Phono. 3w. | |
F41 | Vertebrae | Det. in psd “back.” | |
F42 | Rib | Phono. spr. In spr “approach.” | |
F43 | Ribs | Det. in sḥpt “ribs.” | |
F44 | Leg bone with meat | Phono. iwʿ, isw. In iwʿ inherit,” siw “exchange.” | |
F45 | Heifer uterus | Det. or Ideo. in dit “vulva, cow.” | |
F46 | Intestine | Ideo. in q3b “instestine,” m-q3b “in the midst of” pḫr “turn.” | |
F47 | Var. of F46 | Use as F46. | |
F48 | Var. of F46 | Use as F46. | |
F49 | Var. of F46 | Use as F46. | |
F50 | Combination of F46 and S29 | Phono. spḫr, “write, copy.” | |
F51 | Piece of flesh | Phono. is, ist, ws. Det. ḥʿ “flesh,” iwf “meat.” | |
F52 | Excrement | Det. in ḥs “excrement.” |