English spelling is fixed: “house” is always h-o-u-s-e. Egyptian scribes had more freedom. The same word could be written with more or fewer complements, with or without a determinative, or with a different sign. This lesson builds on Reading Whole Words.
Key idea
| Spelling 1 | Spelling 2 | Both read |
|---|---|---|
| 𓄤 | 𓄤𓆑𓂋 | nfr “good” |
| 𓋹 | 𓋹𓈖𓐍 | ꜥnḫ “life” |
| 𓊹 | 𓊹𓀭 | nṯr “god” |
| 𓊹𓅆 | 𓊹𓀭 | nṯr “god” (two different determinatives) |
| 𓇳𓏤 | 𓂋𓂝𓇳𓏤 | rꜥ “sun, Ra” |
| 𓏠 | 𓏠𓈖 | mn “remain” |
| 𓆣 | 𓆣𓂋 | ḫpr “become” |
Short spellings are common in names and titles, where the word is so familiar that the reading aids are not needed; full spellings are common in careful texts. Determinatives vary too: “god” may end in the seated god 𓀭 or in the falcon on a standard 𓅆.
When different signs mean different words
The reverse also happens: two spellings can share signs and still be different words. 𓏠𓈖 is mn “remain”, but with the reed in front, 𓇋𓏠𓈖, it is jmn “Amun”. 𓉐𓏤 is pr “house”, while 𓉐𓏥 with plural strokes is prw “houses”.
Why it works
Common mistake
Worked example: Same word?
- The flag writes nṯr in both.
- The falcon on a standard is only a determinative.
Answer: Yes: both are nṯr “god”
Worked example: Same word?
- The first is the sun as a word sign, rꜥ.
- The second spells r and ꜥ, then adds the sun as determinative: also rꜥ.
Answer: Yes: both are rꜥ “sun, Ra”
Worked example: Same word?
- The first reads mn.
- The second reads j + mn = jmn.
Answer: No: mn “remain” and jmn “Amun”