Browsing the Glyph Library
How to explore PharaLex's collection of 8,000+ hieroglyphic signs.
The Browse Page
The Browse page shows all 8,000+ hieroglyphs in a scrollable grid. Each card displays the glyph image, its Gardiner code, and a short description. Click any card to open the full glyph detail page.
Categories
The Categories page groups glyphs by their Gardiner classification (A through Aa). Click a category to see all signs in that group. This is the best way to explore signs by what they depict — animals, body parts, buildings, and so on.
Glyph Detail Pages
Each glyph's detail page shows:
- SVG rendering — a scalable, high-quality vector image of the sign
- Gardiner code and Unicode codepoint
- Transliteration — the sound(s) the sign represents
- Meanings — logographic, phonographic, and determinative uses from multiple sources
- Related signs — visually or functionally similar glyphs
- Dictionary words — words from the dictionary that use this sign
- Pharaoh names — royal names containing this sign
The Alphabet Page
The Alphabet page is a quick reference for the 24 uniliteral signs — the closest thing ancient Egyptian has to an alphabet. Each entry shows the sign, its transliteration, and approximate pronunciation.
Search
Use the search bar (top of every page, or the dedicated Search page) to find glyphs by Gardiner code, transliteration, meaning, or description. Search results are grouped into Glyphs and Words tabs.