# Mahjong tiles explained

An American mahjong set has 152 tiles in seven kinds: three suits (Dots, Bams and Craks), winds, dragons, flowers and jokers. You only need to learn a few pictures, because most tiles show their number or letter in the corner.

Here is each kind, how many there are, and how to tell them apart.

## The 152 tiles at a glance

| Kind | Tiles | Each | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dots | 1 to 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Bams | 1 to 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Craks | 1 to 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Winds | N, E, W, S | 4 | 16 |
| Dragons | Red, Green, Soap | 4 | 12 |
| Flowers | All alike | — | 8 |
| Jokers | Stand in for other tiles | — | 8 |
| All tiles |  |  | 152 |

Every tile except the flowers and jokers comes in exactly four copies. This is why a set of five matching tiles always needs a joker.

## Dots

Dots are circles. Count the circles, or read the number in the corner. The 1 Dot is one large circle.

Tiles: 1 Dot, 2 Dot, 3 Dot, 4 Dot, 5 Dot, 6 Dot, 7 Dot, 8 Dot, 9 Dot. Dots, 1 to 9.

Some players call them Circles or Balls. On a card, any color can stand for Dots.

## Bams

Bams is short for bamboo. Each tile shows bamboo sticks, so you can count them. The 1 Bam is usually a bird, not a stick. It still counts as 1.

Tiles: 1 Bam, 2 Bam, 3 Bam, 4 Bam, 5 Bam, 6 Bam, 7 Bam, 8 Bam, 9 Bam. Bams, 1 to 9. The bird is the 1.

Some players call them Sticks or Bamboos.

## Craks

Craks (short for characters) show a Chinese numeral above a red character. You don't need to learn the characters. American sets print the number in the corner, so you read the corner.

Tiles: 1 Crak, 2 Crak, 3 Crak, 4 Crak, 5 Crak, 6 Crak, 7 Crak, 8 Crak, 9 Crak. Craks, 1 to 9. Read the corner.

Some sets spell it Craks, others Cracks or Characters. They are the same suit.

## Winds

There are four winds: North, East, West and South. Each shows a Chinese character, and most American sets add the letter N, E, W or S in the corner.

Tiles: North | East | West | South

Winds are not a suit and have no numbers. On the card they are written as letters, so NEWS means one of each wind.

## Dragons

There are three dragons, and each one goes with a suit. This matters when a hand on the card asks for a dragon in the same color as a suit.

Tiles: Red Dragon, 1 Crak | Green Dragon, 1 Bam | Soap, 1 Dot

The white dragon is called Soap. On many sets it is a plain or framed white tile. Soap has a second job: on the card, a 0 means Soap. That is how hands spell out a year.

Tiles: 2 Dot, Soap, 2 Dot, 6 Dot

## Flowers

There are 8 flowers. The pictures often differ: some show flowers, some show seasons. In American mahjong they are all the same tile. Any two flowers make a pair, and any three make a pung.

Tiles: Flower, Flower, Flower, Flower

On the card, a flower is written as F. Because there are 8 of them, flowers are the only tiles that can make a set of five without a joker.

## Jokers

There are 8 jokers. A joker can stand in for any tile, but only in a set of 3 or more. It can't be part of a pair or used as a single tile.

Tiles: 5 Crak, 5 Crak, Joker | 5 Dot, Joker

Jokers are the most useful tiles in the game. The [joker guide](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/mahjong-jokers) covers every rule, including swapping a real tile for a joker on someone's rack.

## Tips for telling tiles apart

- Read the corner first. Numbers mean a suit tile. Letters mean a wind.
- If it has circles, it is a Dot. Sticks or a bird, a Bam. A red character, a Crak.
- A plain or framed white tile is Soap, not a blank.
- If a set has extra blank tiles, they are spares. They are not used in the game.
- Sort your rack by suit as you play. It makes hands much easier to see.

If you are buying a set, get one with numbers in the corners. It makes learning much easier. See [how to choose a mahjong set](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-mahjong-set).

## Questions

**How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?**

152: 108 suit tiles, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers. Some sets include a few spare blank tiles, which are not used in play.

**Why is the white dragon called Soap?**

It is a mostly plain white tile, and players have long called it Soap. It goes with the Dots suit and is also used as a 0 in year hands.

**Which tile is the bird in mahjong?**

The bird is the 1 Bam. It counts as a 1 in the Bams suit.

**Do I need to read Chinese characters to play?**

No. American sets print numbers and wind letters in the corners. You read the corner.

**Do flowers have to match?**

No. All 8 flowers count as the same tile, even when the pictures are different.

Web version: https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/mahjong-tiles