The second group of one-consonant signs is easier for English speakers: these are sounds we have. Keep the first group from The Alphabet I: ꜣ j y ꜥ w in mind; the practice mixes them in.
Key idea
The foot 𓃀 b, the stool 𓊪 p, the horned viper 𓆑 f, the owl 𓅓 m and the ripple of water 𓈖 n.
| Sign | Code | What it shows | Letter | How to think of it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 𓃀 | D58 | foot and lower leg | b | b |
| 𓊪 | Q3 | stool of reed matting | p | p |
| 𓆑 | I9 | horned viper | f | f; also the pronoun =f “he, his” |
| 𓅓 | G17 | owl | m | m; also the preposition m “in” |
| 𓈖 | N35 | ripple of water | n | n; also the preposition n “to, for” |
Three of these do double duty, which is why you see them everywhere. The horned viper is also the suffix pronoun =f “he, his”. The owl alone is the preposition m “in, from, as”, and the water alone is n “to, for” or “of”.
Telling look-alikes apart
- The owl 𓅓 faces you: its head is turned to the front. Other birds you will meet (the vulture 𓄿, the quail chick 𓅱, the swallow 𓅨) are shown in profile.
- The ripple of water 𓈖 is a single zigzag line. The pool 𓈙 (š, next unit but one) is a rectangle, and three ripples stacked 𓈗 mean “water” itself.
- The viper 𓆑 has two little horns; the cobra 𓆓 (ḏ) has none and rears its body.
Why it works
Why did the Egyptians choose these pictures? Many uniliterals come from words with that sound: the word for “mouth”, rꜣ, begins with r, and the mouth sign writes r. Others are less clear to us. You do not need the reasons to read; you need to know the pictures well enough to tell them apart quickly.
Common mistake
Confusing the owl with other birds, or the ripple of water with the pool. Look for the owl’s front-facing head, and remember that the ripple 𓈖 is a line, not a box. Check: if a word makes no sense with m, look again at the bird.
Worked example: Read a name
Read 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱, the first four signs of Anubis.
- The reed: j.
- The water: n.
- The stool: p.
- The quail chick: w.
Answer: jnpw
Worked example: A pronoun hiding in plain sight
A noun is followed by 𓆑. What might it add?
- The viper writes f.
- After a noun, f is often the suffix pronoun “his”.
Answer: =f “his”