Why did the ancient egyptians stop using hieroglyphics?

Answer 1

Hieroglyphic script was very complex and hard to use, the signs very elaborate. There was a simplified, cursive version of signs; even this was not easy. As the Egyptian language developed into Coptic, it began to be written in an alphabet based on the Greek alphabet, far simpler and easier than hieroglyphs.

Answer 2

The reasons are many and complex.

The very last known hieroglyphic inscription was carved in stone at the island of Philae in 394 AD (the 4th century of the Christian era). By that time hieroglyphs had become corrupt, with many extra signs added, new values given to old signs and very odd combinations of signs not previously used.

By that stage hieroglyphs were not even recording the language spoken at the time - they wrote Middle Egyptian, whereas the new Demotic script was used to write the Late Egyptian language used throughout Egypt. So hieroglyphic texts had become much like Latin today: mysterious, out-of-date, only used by priests and extremely strange to almost everyone else.

By that date, also, Egypt was exposed to the writing systems of Greece and Rome which were far easier to learn, apply and read. This certainly influenced Demotic script, which gradually became more and more distant from its hieroglyph parent.

After more than 3,000 years hieroglyphs had become redundant.

Answer 3

Because for one thing, they don't speak the Egyptian language any more. Today they speak Arabic. But even so, hieroglyphics fell out of use because they were complicated.