What does hieroglyph mean?
Word: Hieroglyph
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Hieroglyph means a picture or symbol that stands for a word, syllable or sound, as in ancient Egyptian writing.
Synonyms: symbol
Word origin: Comes through French from Greek hierogluphikos.
How do you spell hieroglyph?
Syllables: hi - er - o - glyph
Tricky part: The word starts with hie, and many students swap the vowels and write hei. Say the first two sounds separately to keep them in order.
Watch out for: heiroglyph, hairoglyph
Memory tip: Think of a king's name set high on a wall: high and this word both begin with hi.
Hieroglyph in a sentence
Example 1: Our guide at the museum pointed to a hieroglyph shaped like an owl.
Example 2: Each hieroglyph on the stone was carved with great care.
Example 3: We tried to write our names using a hieroglyph for each sound.
Fun Fact
For centuries nobody could read Egyptian writing. In 1822 the French scholar Jean-Francois Champollion finally cracked it, with the help of the Rosetta Stone.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
hierogl___
a) yph
b) ifh
c) iph
d) yfe
Show answer
a) yph. The Greek spelling stays: a y for the vowel and ph for the f sound.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Hieroglyph comes from ___ and it means ___.
a) Greek / a carved or painted sign from an old writing system
b) Greek / a tall stone pillar in a city square
c) Greek / a long roll of paper for letters
d) Greek / a flat tablet used for adding up
Show answer
a) Greek / a carved or painted sign from an old writing system. Every option names Greek, so the meaning decides: a sign from an ancient script.
Sound Check
In which word is 'y' pronounced differently?
a) cycle
b) mystery
c) gymnast
d) hieroglyph
Show answer
a) cycle. Cycle has the long eye sound, while the others all have a short i.
Word Tally
Give 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. How many marks in all?
hieroglyph, papyrus, pharoah, archaeologist, obelisk
a) 4
b) 6
c) 8
d) 10
Show answer
c) 8. Pharaoh is the only slip, with its a and o in the wrong places, so four words score.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If you found a hieroglyph on an old wall, you would be looking at ___.
a) a painting of a landscape
b) a mark left by a builder
c) a crack caused by the sun
d) a piece of picture writing
Show answer
d) a piece of picture writing
2. Scholars who study a hieroglyph want to find out ___.
a) where the stone was cut
b) who paid for the stone
c) what the sign on the stone says
d) how heavy the stone is
Show answer
c) what the sign on the stone says
