Mahjong Tile Types: Suits, Winds, Dragons, Flowers & Jokers

The Three Suits: Dots, Bamboos and Characters

The suits make up 108 of the tiles in almost every set: three suits, numbered 1 to 9, with four copies of each number.

Dots (circles, 筒)

Each dot tile shows one to nine circles. In American mahjong they are simply called "dots".

Bamboos (bams, 條)

Bamboo tiles show sticks of bamboo. The 1 of bamboo is usually drawn as a bird, which is why new players often mistake it for a bonus tile.

Characters (craks, 萬)

Mahjong character tiles carry a Chinese numeral from one to nine above the character 萬 (ten thousand). Sets sold for Western players often add small Arabic numbers in the corner, which is what buyers mean by a "Chinese mahjong set with numbers". If you are choosing between classic faces and numbered faces for traditional mahjong tiles, the numbered version is easier for beginners and does not change the tile count.

Wind Tiles: East, South, West and North

There are four mahjong wind tiles — East (東), South (南), West (西) and North (北) — with four copies of each, 16 tiles in total. Winds are honor tiles: they have no number and cannot form a run. In Chinese play the winds also track seat position and the prevailing wind of each round, which is why many sets ship with a separate wind indicator.

Dragon Tiles: Red, Green and White

The three dragons are the second group of honor tiles. Each appears four times, for 12 dragon tiles.

The white dragon is the tile most often confused with a blank. On a custom set we recommend a framed white dragon so players never mistake it for a spare.

Flower and Season Tiles

Mahjong flower tiles are bonus tiles. A traditional set carries four flowers (plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo) and four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), eight bonus tiles in total. In Cantonese and Hong Kong play, a player who draws a flower sets it aside and draws a replacement. A Cantonese mahjong set therefore needs all eight, while some regional sets drop them entirely to make a 136-tile set.

American NMJL sets also carry eight flowers, but they are all treated as the same tile, so the artwork can be anything you like — a common place for brand or seasonal artwork on a custom set.

Jokers and Blank Tiles

Mahjong Joker tiles

Mahjong Joker tiles exist only in American mahjong. An NMJL set carries 8 Jokers, and a Joker can stand in for any tile in a group of three or more. Because Jokers carry no suit, they are the tile brands most often redesign: a logo, a mascot or a custom illustration printed on the face. See how that works on our custom mahjong tiles page.

Blank tiles

Blank tiles have no marking. They replace a lost or damaged tile, or can be engraved later as an extra Joker or house-rule tile. Our expanded 160-tile American format adds 2 spare Jokers and 6 blank replacement tiles to the 152 playing tiles. If you need single mahjong tiles or blanks to match an existing set, send a reference tile so we can match size and color.

Mahjong Tile Counts by Set Type

For a deeper comparison of these formats, read American vs Chinese mahjong sets. To see how each format is produced, visit our mahjong tile sets page, or look at a finished American mahjong set.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many types of mahjong tiles are there?

Three suits (dots, bamboos, characters), two honor groups (four winds, three dragons) and bonus tiles (flowers and seasons). American sets add Jokers.

What are the three dragon tiles in mahjong?

Red dragon (中), green dragon (發) and white dragon (白), four copies of each.

Do Chinese mahjong sets have Jokers?

No. Traditional Chinese 144-tile sets have no Jokers. An American NMJL set has 8.

What are blank mahjong tiles used for?

Replacing a lost or damaged tile, or engraving a custom Joker or house-rule tile later.