American Mahjong Tiles Explained

Updated October 3, 2026: checked tile counts, clarified joker exchanges and set care, and repaired the printable chart links.

A little help beside your rack: Download the free 152-tile chart, or choose the black-and-white print version.

Here’s the whole set in six lines:

• An American mahjong set has 152 tiles. 144 game tiles plus 8 jokers.
• Three suits: Dots, Bams, and Craks. 36 of each. Numbered 1 through 9, four of each number.
• Honor tiles: 16 Winds (North, East, West, South, 4 of each) and 12 Dragons (red, green, white/soap, 4 of each).
• 8 Flowers. All flowers count as identical for hand-building, no matter what they show.
• 8 Jokers. Wild tiles. They can sub into any group of three or more matching tiles on the card.
• The white dragon is also the "0" in any hand that calls for zeros. Same physical tile, two jobs.

The first time you pop open a mahjong set, you see chaos. A bird. A red squiggle. Some Chinese characters you can't read. A blank tile that you're pretty sure is broken. Eight tiles with flowers on them. Eight tiles with a giant red word that says JOKER. Your friend tells you that you're going to play a game with these. You count the tiles. There are way more than you expected.

That's the moment most new players quietly decide that mahjong is going to be hard. It isn't. The set has 152 tiles, and once you know what every one of them is and why it's in the box, the overwhelm collapses into a system. This is that system. Every tile family, what it looks like, how many of each, what they do, and why the white dragon is also a zero.

How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?

American mahjong uses 152 tiles in play: 108 suit tiles across three suits, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers, and 8 jokers.

Here's the full inventory:

• 36 Dots (circles): 1 through 9, 4 of each
• 36 Bams (bamboo): 1 through 9, 4 of each. The 1 Bam traditionally shows a bird.
• 36 Craks (characters): 1 through 9, 4 of each
• 16 Winds: North, East, West, South. 4 of each.
• 12 Dragons: Red, Green, and White (the white is also called Soap). 4 of each.
• 8 Flowers
• 8 Jokers

That is the 152-tile playing set for American mahjong under NMJL rules. A box may contain extra jokers or replacement blanks; set those extras aside after checking the manufacturer’s inventory. Other styles of mahjong use different tile counts and rules.

The three suits: Dots, Bams, and Craks

The three suits in American mahjong are Dots, Bams, and Craks, each numbered 1 through 9 with four copies of every tile, giving you 108 suit tiles in total.

The bulk of a mahjong set, 108 of the 152 tiles, is the three suits. Each suit is numbered 1 through 9, with 4 of each number. They're the working tiles. Most hands on the NMJL card are built from these.

The three suits are interchangeable for hand-building purposes. When the card calls for "any 2 suits" or "any 3 suits," you're picking how many distinct suits the hand uses, not which colors they are.

Dots (also called Circles)

Dots are the easiest suit to read because the number on the tile matches the number of circles you see. A 3 Dot has three circles. A 7 Dot has seven. The circles are arranged in standard patterns, so once you've seen a 5 Dot you'll always recognize it.

36 Dots in the set. 1 through 9, 4 of each. Sometimes the 1 Dot has a more ornate artistic flourish, but it still just means "one." If you can't remember what suit you're looking at, count the circles. That's the Dots.

Bams (also called Bamboo or Sticks)

Bams are the suit with the green or red bamboo sticks. 2 through 9 Bams look exactly like what you'd expect: a 4 Bam has four sticks, a 9 Bam has nine. Count the sticks.

The 1 Bam is different. In traditional sets it is usually a bird, sometimes a sparrow, peacock, or rooster. That bird represents the number 1 in the Bam suit. Artwork varies in modern sets, so use the maker’s tile key if your design looks different.

This is the single most common point of confusion for new players. You hold up a tile with a bird on it and ask "what is this?" It's a 1 Bam. It plays as a 1 in the Bam suit, just like a 5 Bam plays as a 5. The bird is decoration on a numerical tile.

There are 36 Bams in the playing set, including four 1 Bams.

Craks (also called Characters or Wans)

Traditional Craks show a number above the character for “wan,” meaning 10,000. Many American sets also print a familiar numeral to help you identify the tile. Modern decorative sets can use different artwork.

You do not need to read Chinese to play. Learn your set’s labels or use its tile key. There are 36 Craks: numbers 1 through 9, with four of each. Craks are numbered suit tiles; Winds identify directions.

Winds: North, East, West, South

Winds are honor tiles. Four of them: North (N), East (E), West (W), South (S). 4 of each, so 16 Winds in the set. Usually labeled in English with a single letter, though older or imported sets use the Chinese characters for the directions. If a term in this guide is unfamiliar, the mahjong glossary has every definition in one place.

The Winds-Dragons section of the 2026 card uses Wind tiles, and Winds appear in other sections too. Follow the exact directions printed in the hand: North, East, West, and South are not interchangeable. A group of three Norths is different from the individual Wind tiles in NEWS.

Note: every player is also assigned a wind position for the round (East, South, West, North), which is a separate concept from the Wind tile itself. The position matters for seating, order of play, and which player starts with 14 tiles. Under NMJL play, players take their own tiles from the walls rather than having East deal the hands. The tile is just a tile you might build a hand around.

Dragons: Red, Green, and White (Soap)

There are 12 dragon tiles in a standard set: four each of Red, Green, and White (also called Soap). Dragons are not wild tiles. The only wild tiles in American mahjong are the 8 jokers.

Dragons are the other set of honor tiles. There are three Dragons: Red, Green, and White. Four of each, so 12 dragons in the set.

• Red Dragon: A bold red character (the Chinese word "chun"). Sometimes called the chun. Pairs with the Crak suit on the NMJL card.
• Green Dragon: A green character (the Chinese word "fa"). Sometimes called the fa. Pairs with the Bam suit on the NMJL card.
• White Dragon: A tile with a blue or black frame around an empty middle, or sometimes a tile that looks completely blank. Often called the Soap because it looks like a bar of soap. Pairs with the Dot suit on the NMJL card. The White Dragon is also a zero (more on this below).

When a hand calls for matching Dragons, Red matches Craks, Green matches Bams, and White matches Dots. The ink colors on the NMJL card show suit relationships; they do not permanently mean red = Craks, green = Bams, and blue = Dots. Follow the line’s instructions for matching or opposite Dragons. See how to read the NMJL card for the color system.

A blank-looking tile may be a White Dragon or an extra replacement blank, depending on the set. Check the maker’s tile key and inventory: your playing set needs four White Dragons. Do not add an unidentified blank as a fifth Soap or an extra Joker.

Why the White Dragon is also a "zero"

This is the single most confusing thing about the dragons, and it trips up almost everyone the first time they see a "0" on the NMJL card.

Several hands on the card (especially the 2026 section and others that use specific digits) call for tiles that read as 0. There is no physical "0" tile in the set. The White Dragon doubles as the 0.

Whenever the card prints a 0, use a White Dragon for that position and follow the complete 14-tile line. A short group of digits is only part of a hand; check the other groups, suit colors, and parenthetical instructions too.

You only treat the White Dragon as a 0 when the hand calls for it. In a hand that calls for a pung of White Dragons, the White is being used as a Dragon. Same tile, context-dependent role. One more thing: when the White Dragon is played as a 0, it's suit-neutral. It does not have to match the suit of the number tiles next to it. So a hand like 2026 can have its 0 played as a White Dragon regardless of whether the 2s and 6s are Dots, Bams, or Craks. The first time you see it on the card you'll squint. Then you can't believe you ever found it confusing.

Flowers: 8 tiles, all identical for hand-building

Flowers are a set of 8 tiles that almost always feature flower or season imagery. The artwork varies wildly from set to set: cherry blossoms, lotuses, plum branches, four seasons in different colors, sometimes Roman numerals.

The rule that matters more than the artwork: for hand-building purposes, all 8 Flowers count as identical. A pair of Flowers can be any two Flower tiles in the set. A quad of Flowers is any four of them. If a hand calls for FFFF, you need four Flowers. Any four will do.

All eight Flowers are interchangeable under NMJL rules, even when their pictures or printed numbers differ. Other players may need them too, so you cannot assume Flowers will be available later.

Jokers: the 8 wild tiles that make American mahjong what it is

Each set contains 8 jokers, and they are the only wild tiles in the game. A joker can stand in for any tile inside a group of three or more identical tiles (a pung, kong, or quint), but jokers are never legal in a single or a pair.

There are 8 Jokers in the set, usually with a bold red word JOKER or an artistic joker face. They are wild. They can stand in for any tile in a group of three or more matching tiles in your hand.

Two things to know that matter more than anything else:

1. Jokers can only sub into groups of 3 or more. A Joker cannot stand in for a single tile in a pair. If a hand calls for a pair of 5 Dots, both tiles must be actual 5 Dots. A Joker cannot complete a pair.
2. Jokers cannot be passed during the Charleston. Not in any pass. Not in the Courtesy. Ever. We cover this in detail in the full Charleston guide.

Beyond that, a Joker can substitute for any tile in any pung (3 of a kind), kong (4 of a kind), quint (5 of a kind), or sextet (6 of a kind) on the card. A Joker held in your hand is one of the most valuable tiles you can have, because it gives you flexibility right up until the moment you call mahjong.

Jokers can also be "redeemed" once they've been used in an exposure on the table. If another player (or you) has a Joker exposed in a pung, kong, or other group, and you have the actual matching tile, you can swap your real tile for that Joker on your turn, after picking and racking a tile or calling a discard and completing a legal exposure. You cannot claim a discard solely to exchange it for a joker. The redeemed Joker comes back into your hand. You can redeem from another player's rack or from your own exposed group. Jokers cannot be redeemed from the discard pile, only from exposures. This is one of the highest-leverage moves in the game when it's available.

The full mechanics of redemption, exposure rules, and what counts as a legal Joker substitution live in the full joker rules guide.

Caring for your tiles

A set of mahjong tiles is a thing you'll use for years. Treat it well.

Cleaning

Follow your tile maker’s care instructions, especially for painted, vintage, or unfamiliar materials. Start with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid soaking tiles or applying cleaners unless the manufacturer recommends that method for your set.

Storage

Most sets come with a case or a wooden box. Keep the tiles in their case when you're not playing. It keeps the set together, protects the tiles from temperature swings, and means you never sit down for a game and realize you're missing a Joker. A closet shelf is fine. The top of a sunny windowsill is not. Heat warps tiles and fades the colors over time, especially the red on Craks and the green on Dragons.

The rack

Most American mahjong players use a tile rack to hold their 13 tiles upright during play. Racks usually come as a set of four. Many racks also include a pusher (the long flat tool you use to scoot tiles around when you're stacking the wall at the start of each hand). If you're investing in your first set, get racks and pushers in the same finish. They fit better and look better on the table.

You don't need a fancy set to start playing well. You need a complete set: 152 tiles in good condition, racks for everyone, and the current NMJL card. The NMJL publishes a new card each spring. The tiles last for decades.

The whole set in one sentence

An American mahjong set has 152 tiles: three suits of 36 (Dots, Bams, Craks, all numbered 1 through 9 with four of each), 16 Winds, 12 Dragons (with the White Dragon also serving as a 0), 8 Flowers (all interchangeable), and 8 Jokers (wild, but only in groups of 3 or more).

Save this. Read it before your next game. The hands on the card stop being intimidating the moment you know what every tile in your rack actually is.

What to do once you know the tiles

Knowing the tiles is step one. Step two is learning how they come together into hands. The 2026 NMJL card has 55 hands across 9 sections, and the way to feel confident reading it isn't to memorize all 55. It's to know what every tile in your rack can become.

Your strategy at the table shouldn't be "guess what hand to go for." It should be "read the card and decide based on what's in your hand." That shift, from guessing to reading, is the difference between a player who knows the rules and a player who actually plays well.

Ready to put the tiles together? Follow the learn American mahjong guide for the next steps, from setup to reading the card and playing a hand. If you want a quick reminder beside your rack, save the free Quick-Start Cheat Sheet. The tools and accessories I use are in Lara’s Favorites.

Two natural next reads: how to read the NMJL card, since every hand you build with these tiles comes off that sheet, and how American mahjong scoring works, which covers what a winning hand actually pays.

For the rest of the rules, start here if you're brand new, or use the glossary to look up any term that didn't quite land. Once you know the basic rules, Confidence Club offers ongoing strategy, member sessions, and community. Weekly online games require a separate paid I Love Mahj subscription.

See you at the table.

Lara

Tile and rules references

The Mahj Life set inventory lists the 152 tiles used in American mahjong. Use your current National Mah Jongg League card and official rulebook for playing rules, and your manufacturer’s tile key to identify unfamiliar artwork or replacement blanks.