Hieroglyphics translator
Type a name and copy it as Egyptian hieroglyph signs, one sign for each sound.
About this translator
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were not an alphabet, but they did include 24 signs for single consonants, called uniliteral signs. Those signs are what name-writing tools use: each English letter is matched to the sign with the closest sound. This is a spelling of the sounds, not a translation of the meaning, and Egyptian itself was written without most vowels.
The signs are pictures: a vulture for the glottal sound we write as a, a foot for b, a lion for l, an owl for m, a mouth for r. Names were often written inside an oval called a cartouche to mark them as royal. You can copy the signs here and put your own cartouche around them.
Egyptian writing could run left to right, right to left or top to bottom; the animals face the beginning of the line. Hieroglyph signs are in a Unicode block that some devices cannot draw. If you see empty boxes, install Noto Sans Egyptian Hieroglyphs, which is free; Windows has a built-in font that supports them.
The 26 signs
| Letter | Sign | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| A | πΏ | vulture |
| B | π | foot |
| C | π‘ | basket (as k) |
| D | π§ | hand |
| E | π | reed leaf (as i) |
| F | π | horned viper |
| G | πΌ | jar stand |
| H | π | reed shelter |
| I | π | reed leaf |
| J | π | cobra |
| K | π‘ | basket |
| L | π | lion |
| M | π | owl |
| N | π | water ripple |
| O | π ± | quail chick (as w) |
| P | πͺ | stool |
| Q | π | hill slope |
| R | π | mouth |
| S | π΄ | folded cloth |
| T | π | bread loaf |
| U | π ± | quail chick |
| V | π | horned viper (as f) |
| W | π ± | quail chick |
| X | π‘π΄ | basket and cloth (as ks) |
| Y | π | two reed leaves |
| Z | π | door bolt |
Questions
How do I write my name in hieroglyphs?
Type it in the box. Each letter becomes the Egyptian single-sound sign with the closest sound, and you can copy the result.
Is this a real translation?
No. It spells the sounds of your name with the one-consonant signs. Real Egyptian writing used hundreds of signs for words and ideas as well.
What is a cartouche?
An oval rope drawn around the name of a king or queen. You can draw one around your own name for fun.
Why do I see boxes instead of signs?
Your device has no Egyptian hieroglyph font. Install Noto Sans Egyptian Hieroglyphs or use a recent version of Windows, which includes one.