Although the task of reading hieroglyphs from the right direction may seem daunting at first, there is a simple trick that will allow you to easily identify the correct direction from which to begin:
Look for a hieroglyph with a face and read toward it.
When the figure is facing to the left, begin reading from the left. If they are facing right, begin from the right. When there are hieroglyphs are stacked on top of each other, the top sign should always be read before lower sign. Another feature of the Egyptian writing system that you might have noticed is “group writing.” Rather than placing hieroglyphs side-by-side, they were arranged in a way to reduce empty space: taller signs stand alone, while smaller signs are stacked on top of each other.