Now that the Mayan glyphs are being deciphered, we know that they do express the Mayan language. Correct classification will help us avoid such sidetracks or stumbling blocks. A pictogram is a direct image of the object it represents. It does not represent the sounds of the spoken language. International road signs are an example of modern day pictograms.
Ideograms are pictograms that represent ideas linked to a particular object.
For example, a picture of the sun can represent warmth, heat, daytime, etc. An ideogram becomes a phonogram when it also stands for the sounds of the word. For example, in English, the sign of the sun can stand for the word sun or son. Logographic writing is also called word writing. An example of a logographic system is Chinese writing.