I've been teaching Egyptian hieroglyphs for 20 years. Read my top tips for students in the early stages of their learning journey.
1. Get to grips with the basics of the hieroglyphic writing system
Before you start memorising signs, make sure that you understand the basic principles of hieroglyphic writing. Often, hieroglyphs don't represent the things that they're pictures of: they can represent sounds (either individual letters or combinations of letters), whole words, or ideas. For more information, see my post ‘How hard is it to learn Egyptian hieroglyphs?’.
2. Start by learning the most common hieroglyphs
There are hundreds of hieroglyphs, but you don't need to learn them all at once.
Start by learning the signs that represent single letters (the 'uniliteral signs'): these form the building blocks of many words. Next learn some of the hieroglyphs that represent more complex sounds and the more common determinatives.
You'll find some flashcards and learning games to help you learn common signs on my hieroglyphs learning resources archive and new learning resources pages.
3. Learn how to use hieroglyphic sign lists
Textbooks such as Gardiner's Egyptian Grammar and Allen's Middle Egyptian contain comprehensive lists and charts to help you identify the meanings of individual hieroglyphs and understand the ways in which they are commonly used. You will usually find these reference charts at the back of textbooks.
Note that the same numbering system is used in all standard charts, for example, sign 'A1' is always the seated man hieroglyph and sign 'B1' is the seated woman; this means you can use the reference numbers when talking to other Egyptologists.
Get to know the charts, and use them whenever you meet a hieroglyph you don't know. Every time you use the charts you will strengthen your recall and understanding of a less familiar hieroglyph.
4. Use flashcards (physical or digital) and post-it notes to help you memorise signs and words
Flashcards are an excellent way to learn words and signs. You can create physical flashcards with the sign or word on one side and its sound and meaning on the other. Digital flashcards, such as the ones on my resources pages (hieroglyphs archive and new resources) are good for learning on the go. You can create your own digital flashcards using apps like Quizlet, although inserting hieroglyphic and transliteration (see below) fonts can be challenging.
Another tip is to write the signs or words you're struggling to learn on post-its, and stick them on your fridge, bathroom mirror, or anywhere you'll see them often.
5. Learn grammar and syntax
Learning the ancient Egyptian language isn't just about learning signs and words: to read and understand inscriptions and texts, you will need to learn the grammar and syntax of the ancient Egyptian language.
Begin with basic rules, such as word order (typically Verb-Subject-Object) and common verb forms. The grammar of ancient Egyptian can seem alien to modern learners, especially those who are used to European languages, so approach it with an open mind and don't always expect to be able to find an exact equivalent in your own language for an ancient Egyptian construction.
6. Always transliterate before you translate
Transliteration is the process of converting hieroglyphs into an approximation of their sound value. I'll explain more about transliteration in a subsequent post.
Transliteration is a crucial step: always transliterate the phrase you're studying (and write the transliteration down) before you try to translate. Resist the temptation to jump straight to translation. Transliteration forces you to analyse the value of each hieroglyph and the grammar of the sentence; if you skip transliteration you're likely to make mistakes.
7. Find a textbook and/ or class that suits you
There are lots of textbooks around, and they vary greatly in their teaching style, content, intended audience and goals. The same is true of taught courses. Before you commit, compare the options and seek advice if you can. If you're studying independently, be aware that some books are intended for self-study, while others may be more suited to use on taught courses (that is, they may benefit from some supporting explanation!).
8. Start with simple, formulaic texts
Once you have a grasp of the basics, practise by reading inscriptions like offering formulae. These are formulaic, which means they follow a set order and reuse variants on the same phrases. This repetition will reinforce your learning and give you a real sense of progress: once you've read a few offering formulae you'll be able to read other similar inscriptions more or less fluently.
Later you can progress to longer, more complex texts and different genres, for example, stories like those preserved on Papyrus Westcar (see my post What to read next in Middle Egyptian hieroglyphs: Papyrus Westcar (AKA 'Tales of Wonder' or 'King Cheops and the Magicians'))
9. Little and often
Like any language, mastering ancient Egyptian requires consistent practice. A few minutes a day practising with your flashcards or translating a very short passage can make a real difference.
10. Upcoming free '5-minute Hieroglyphs' course
Learning Egyptian hieroglyphs is a challenging but rewarding endeavour that opens a window into one of history's most fascinating cultures, and I wish you the very best in your studies.
If you're interested in learning more, I'm planning a series of 5-Minute Hieroglyphs posts that will introduce you to the basics of the language. If you'd like to be notified when these and other resources become available, please click on the button at the top of these post (or at the bottom if you're reading this on your phone) to join the mailing list.