Phonetic Complement
Sound signs can be used as sound complements (or phonetic complements) indicating the sound conveyed by other phonograms. In the 𓉐𓂋 sign, it is added to flesh out the 𓂋 r of 𓉐 pr and in 𓄤𓆑𓂋 the one-consonant sign 𓆑 and 𓂋 are used to flesh out fr of nfr. In 𓁷𓂋, the 𓂋 is added to flesh out the r in Hr.
Sound complement can be added in three ways:
1. Before the phonograms
Many such cases are well documented in Old Kingdom texts. This phoneme was used in Middle Kingdom texts.
Example
𓏏𓍃 tm (𓏏 t sound complement + 𓍃 tm phonogram)
2. Sound Complement added after the phonograms
This usage is a common feature in the inscriptions of the Old and Middle Kingdoms.
Examples
𓅮𓄿 pA (𓅮 pA phonogram + 𓄿 A sound complement).
𓏠𓈖 mn (𓏠 mn phonogram + 𓈖 n sound complement).
3. Sound Complement added before and after the phonograms
This is a rare way in which Egyptians tried to flesh out consonants in bilateral or triliteral signs.
Example
𓇋𓆛𓈖 in
(𓇋 i sound complement + 𓆛 in phonogram + 𓈖 n sound)