Hieroglyphics illustrate an interesting phenomenon: reading is an automatic unavoidable process starting as soon as you see familiar characters.
Now let’s think like an ancient Egyptian.
He reads these graphics not as mere graphics but as text. Most interestingly these hieroglyphics clearly demonstrate a speed reading mechanism. With this writing system the character ‘water’ can either represent the sound of ‘water’ or the idea of water. The Egyptian reader had direct visual access to meaning. Without the time consuming need to build the sound with his inner voice. Just like the good reader today seeing the word ‘water’.