American Mahjong Tile Names and Symbols: A Visual Beginner’s Guide

Once you can distinguish Craks, Bams, Dots, Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers, the annual card becomes easier to read and discards become easier to follow.

Quick answer

American Mahjong uses three numbered suits—Craks, Bams, and Dots—plus Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers. Each numbered suit runs from 1 through 9, with four copies of every tile. Designs vary by manufacturer, so learn the underlying number, suit, letter, and symbol rather than relying on one set’s artwork.

Rules basis and why names matter

This guide covers tiles in a standard 152-tile set used for common National Mah Jongg League-style play with the 2026 card and four players. Some vintage and travel sets have different artwork or tile inventories. Check the manufacturer’s contents before play and keep nonplaying replacement tiles outside the wall.

Clear naming is part of gameplay. When you discard, you announce the tile so all players have an equal opportunity to call. A clear “Seven Bam” is better than “this green one.”

The complete American Mahjong tile inventory

Craks: the character suit

Craks are the numbered character suit. The name is short for “characters,” and players may also say “crack.” Crak tiles usually show a Chinese character associated with the number ten-thousand, combined with a Chinese numeral. American sets often add an Arabic number in a corner.

To identify a Crak:

1. Look for the Arabic number 1 through 9.
2. Confirm the face is built mainly from Chinese characters rather than circles or bamboo-like sticks.
3. Use the corner label if the characters are unfamiliar.

Say the number first, then the suit: “One Crak,” “Five Crak,” or “Nine Crak.” The plural is used when discussing several tiles, as in “three Seven Craks.”

Bams: the bamboo suit

Bams are the bamboo suit. Tiles Two Bam through Nine Bam normally show the corresponding number of bamboo-like sticks arranged in a pattern. Many American sets also print an Arabic number and the letter B.

The special case is One Bam. Instead of a single stick, One Bam traditionally shows a bird. The bird may be a peacock, sparrow, crane, or another decorative design. If you see a prominent bird with a corner 1 or B, it is probably One Bam—not a Flower.

Useful visual checks:

• Two through Nine Bam: repeated narrow sticks or bamboo shapes
• One Bam: one bird image
• Corner label: number plus B on many American sets
• Usual call: “Three Bam,” “Eight Bam,” and so on

Dots: the circle suit

Dots display circles, coins, or round pips. The number of circles generally matches the tile rank. One Dot may be a single large circle; Nine Dot may show a three-by-three grid.

Dots are often easiest for beginners because you can count the pips. Still, dense designs can make Six, Eight, and Nine Dot look similar at a glance. Check the corner number before announcing a discard.

Common names include “Dots,” “Circles,” or “Coins,” but American tables most often say “Dot”: “Four Dot” or “Nine Dot.” Pick the table’s normal vocabulary and announce consistently.

Winds: North, East, West, and South

There are four Winds:

• North, announced “North” or “North Wind”
• East, announced “East” or “East Wind”
• West, announced “West” or “West Wind”
• South, announced “South” or “South Wind”

Each appears four times. American sets usually add N, E, W, or S in a corner, while the center shows a Chinese character.

Remember the common card sequence NEWS: North, East, West, South. When the annual card prints NEWS, it means those Wind tiles in that order. The printed letters do not refer to player positions unless the line or rule specifically makes that connection.

East is also the dealer’s role, but an East Wind tile is still just a tile. Holding it does not make you East, and sitting in the role of East does not make every East Wind automatically valuable.

Dragons: Red, Green, and White

American Mahjong has three Dragons, with four copies of each.

Red Dragon

The Red Dragon often shows a red Chinese character and may carry a red D or other English cue. Players call it “Red” or “Red Dragon.” On the annual card, a red Dragon may be represented by a D printed in a color relationship to the suits.

Green Dragon

The Green Dragon usually shows a green Chinese character. It is called “Green” or “Green Dragon.” Do not confuse it with a green Crak or Bam; look for the absence of a rank number.

White Dragon, or Soap

The White Dragon is commonly called Soap in American Mah Jongg. Depending on the set, it may appear as:

• A plain white face
• A blue or black rectangular frame
• The word “WHITE”
• A symbol resembling a blank bar

Soap has a second important card-reading role: it can represent a zero when the annual card uses zeroes. Whether you are treating it as a Dragon or zero depends on the exact hand. It is still the same physical tile.

Dragon-to-suit relationships matter in many card hands. Traditionally, Red relates to Craks, Green to Bams, and White to Dots, but the annual card’s colors and notes control the required relationship. Read each line instead of relying on a memorized shortcut.

Flowers

A standard American set has eight Flowers. Their art may show blossoms, seasons, plants, landscapes, people, or numbers. In common NMJL-style play, the eight Flowers are interchangeable for card combinations unless the governing rule specifically distinguishes them.

On the card, Flowers appear as F. A pair shown as FF needs two natural Flower tiles because Jokers generally cannot represent a pair. A larger eligible Flower grouping may permit Jokers unless the line says otherwise.

Beginners often confuse an elaborate One Bam bird with a Flower. Use these cues:

• One Bam usually has a 1, B, or recognizable bird convention.
• A Flower may have F, “Flower,” or a seasonal number.
• Compare uncertain tiles with others from the same set before the deal.

Jokers

American Mah Jongg sets include eight Jokers. They are usually easy to identify because they say JOKER or display a jester. Jokers may substitute in eligible groupings, but they are not wild in every situation.

Key beginner rules:

• Jokers generally cannot represent singles.
• Jokers generally cannot represent pairs.
• Jokers cannot be passed in the Charleston or courtesy pass.
• Jokers may appear in eligible groups in concealed hands, although the hand cannot be exposed before Mah Jongg.
• An exposed Joker may be exchanged for its matching natural tile under the applicable timing procedure.

Read Joker rules in American Mahjong before treating a Joker as a universal substitute.

Blanks and replacement tiles

Some American sets include blank tiles beyond the 152 playing tiles. These are typically replacements to be marked if a tile is lost. A blank is not automatically a White Dragon, Joker, or free wild tile.

Before building walls:

1. Compare the set with its inventory list.
2. Separate extra blanks.
3. Confirm there are eight actual Jokers and eight Flowers.
4. Verify four copies of each numbered, Wind, and Dragon tile.

A house may deliberately label a replacement tile, but all players should know what it represents before play.

How tile names appear on the annual card

The annual card compresses tile language into numbers, letters, colors, and spaces. You need to translate notation into physical tiles without reproducing the card itself.

Common notation concepts include:

• 1–9: numbered suit tiles
• N, E, W, S: Winds
• D: Dragon
• F: Flower
• 0: White Dragon used as zero
• Same printed color: use the same suit
• Different printed colors: use different suits as directed
• Spaces: separate groups

Colors are relative. If one group is printed in one color and another in a second color, you choose which physical suits satisfy those colors. Red print does not automatically mean Craks, and green print does not automatically mean Bams.

A five-minute tile-learning exercise

Try this before your first full game:

1. Separate the three numbered suits.
2. Put each suit in order from 1 through 9.
3. Find One Bam and describe its bird.
4. Arrange Winds as NEWS.
5. Place Red, Green, and White Dragons together.
6. Make one group of all Flowers and one of all Jokers.
7. Turn the tiles face down, draw ten at random, and name each aloud.

Repeat until you can identify a tile in two seconds. Prioritize accuracy.

How to announce discards clearly

Name the rank and family in a steady voice:

• “Six Crak”
• “Two Bam”
• “Nine Dot”
• “North”
• “Green Dragon”
• “Flower”
• “Joker”

Place the tile face up where everyone can see it. Do not mumble, abbreviate an unfamiliar term, or cover the tile with your hand. In tournament play, verbal and placement timing can affect calls, so use the event’s procedure.

Common identification mistakes

Calling a One Bam a Flower

The bird on One Bam is part of the bamboo suit. Check the corner number or compare it with the set’s other Bams.

Treating every blank-looking tile as Soap

A framed or intentionally plain playing tile may be White Dragon; an extra unmarked tile may be a replacement blank. Verify the set inventory.

Assigning suits by card color

Card colors communicate same-suit and different-suit relationships. They do not permanently assign red to Craks, green to Bams, or blue to Dots.

Thinking Flowers must match

The Flower artwork may differ across all eight tiles. In common American card play, they are generally interchangeable, so a group does not need identical pictures.

American Mahjong tile FAQ

How many copies are there of each numbered tile?

There are four copies of every rank in each numbered suit. For example, the set contains four Five Craks, four Five Bams, and four Five Dots.

Why is One Bam a bird?

The bird is a traditional visual convention for the one tile in the bamboo suit. Its species and style vary by set, but its game identity remains One Bam.

Are all Flower tiles the same in American Mahjong?

For standard NMJL-style card combinations, Flowers are generally interchangeable even when the pictures differ. Check any special rule used by your table or event.

Is White Dragon the same as zero?

It is the same physical tile. The annual card may use White Dragon as a Dragon or as zero depending on the hand’s notation and note.

Can a Joker copy a Flower?

A Joker may generally substitute in an eligible Flower grouping of three or more, unless the hand says otherwise. It cannot replace a Flower required as a single or as part of a pair.

Do tile colors affect the suit?

No. The ink and artwork colors on physical tiles are decorative and identifying cues. Suit identity comes from the tile family: Crak, Bam, or Dot.

Related guides

• How to play American Mahjong
• American Mahjong setup and the deal
• Joker rules for beginners
• How an American Mahjong turn works
• How to read the annual American Mah Jongg card

Editorial note

Independently produced by USA Mahjong; not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Mah Jongg League. Reviewed for the 2026 card and current published guidance; tournament and house rules may differ. Tile artwork and English corner labels vary among manufacturers.

Sources

• National Mah Jongg League
• National Mah Jongg League game overview
• National Mah Jongg League store and current card
• American Mah-Jongg Association rules
• Standardized National Mah Jongg Tournament Rules