American Mahjong Glossary

A hand category on the NMJL® card built entirely from odd-numbered tiles (1s, 3s, 5s, 7s, 9s). Specific 13579 hands change yearly, but the category name always means odd-only.How to read the NMJL card →

A full American Mahjong set has 152 playing tiles: three suits of 1–9 with 4 copies each (108), 4 copies each of the four Winds (16), 4 copies each of the three Dragons (12), 8 Flowers, and 8 Jokers. If a set has only 144 tiles, it's missing the Jokers — that's a Chinese-style set.The 152 tiles, explained →

A section of the NMJL® card built around even-numbered tiles — 2s, 4s, 6s and 8s. Depending on the year's card, hands may also include Flowers, Winds or Dragons.How to read the NMJL card →

A hand category on the NMJL® card built around 3s, 6s, and 9s. Specific 369 hands change yearly, but the category name always restricts you to those three numbers.How to read the NMJL card →

The official NMJL® rule covering misnamed discards. If a player calls Mahjong based on a misnamed tile, the game stops, and the misnamer alone pays that player 4× the hand value. The other two players pay nothing.The full rulebook →

One of the three suits, depicted with bamboo stalks. Numbered 1–9, 4 copies of each in the set.The 152 tiles, explained →

A common nickname for the 1 Bam tile, which depicts a bird (often a peacock, sparrow, or rooster) instead of a single bamboo stalk. It looks similar to a Flower at first glance — if there's a bird on it, it's a 1 Bam.The 152 tiles, explained →

A move on the first left (pass 3) or the last right (pass 6) where you push along 1, 2, or 3 tiles you just received without looking at them. Not allowed on the courtesy pass. Peeking before deciding is considered cheating.What is the Charleston? →

East rolls two dice and breaks their own wall. The dice total tells you how many stacks in from the right end to split. The opening point is where East draws the first tiles.How to set up the game →

Claiming another player's discarded tile to complete a Pung, Kong, Quint, Sextet, or Mahjong. You must say it out loud ("Call!" or "Mahjong!") before the next player racks, discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong.When can you call a tile? →

The stretch of time when a discard can still be claimed: from the moment it's named until the next player commits to their turn. The window closes as soon as that next player does any one of four things —racks their drawn tile, starts a joker exchange, makes their own discard, or declares Mahjong. Just drawing the wall tile and tapping it on the table, without racking, does NOT close the window — the previous discard is still callable until one of those commitments happens. This is why the polite pause before racking matters — it keeps the window honestly open.When can you call a tile? →

One of the 2–3 hands on the card you're building toward early in the game. The flexibility curve narrows from 3 → 2 → 1 candidates as the game progresses.Strategy for winning →

The annual card published by the National Mah Jongg League® listing every legal winning hand for that year, with its value, suit restrictions, and whether it's exposed (X) or concealed (C). Required to play officially.How to read the NMJL card →

The unique tile-trading ritual at the start of every American Mahjong hand — 6 passes plus an optional courtesy. First Charleston (right → across → left) is mandatory; second Charleston (left → across → right) is optional. Followed by the optional courtesy pass with the player across.What is the Charleston? →

A hand marked "C" on the card. You cannot call any tiles during play (you can still claim a discarded tile to win on Mahjong, but not before). Any higher printed value is already built into the card — use the printed value; concealed is NOT a payout multiplier.Exposed vs. concealed hands →

A hand category on the NMJL® card built from numbers in numerical order (e.g. 3-4-5 or 5-6-7). The card tells you the pattern (FF 11 222 333 4444); you choose which consecutive numbers to use within the constraint shown in parentheses.How to read the NMJL card →

The Courtesy Pass is the final optional pass of the Charleston. You and the player across from you may exchange 0, 1, 2, or 3 tiles. If you want different numbers, you exchange the smaller number. Each opposite pair decides independently.

After the Charleston — even if the second Charleston was stopped — you and the player across may trade tiles. Each of you names a number from 0 to 3, and you both pass the lower of the two. Naming zero means no trade — that's always allowed. No jokers.What is the Charleston? →

One of the three suits, marked with the Chinese character for the number. Numbered 1–9, 4 copies of each in the set.The 152 tiles, explained →

Pushing the next wall forward and slightly diagonal so it can be dealt from when the current wall runs out.How to set up the game →

A hand that can no longer reach a valid winning position (because of an invalid exposure — including a call you committed to and couldn't complete — a wrong tile count, or another rule violation). Calling out for a tile doesn't do it on its own: before the called tile is on your rack or tiles are exposed, you may take the call back with no penalty. Per NMJL®, another player must declare it dead — you can't call your own hand dead. Until then, keep playing defensively. Once declared, you stop drawing and discarding, stay seated, and still pay the winner.What is a dead hand? →

A tile is dead for your hand when enough copies are already visible (in discards and exposures) that you can no longer collect what you need — if you need a Pung but three copies are on the table, your natural Pung is gone (though a Joker can still fill a group of three or more). A live tile still has enough unseen copies. Counting dead tiles is the heart of reading the table.When can you call a tile? →

Strictly speaking, there is no dealer in American Mahjong — each player takes their own tiles from the wall. The role other games give a dealer belongs to East: East breaks the wall, draws first, starts with the extra 14th tile, and makes the first discard, which officially starts the game.How to set up the game →

A tile placed face-up in the center of the table at the end of a turn — you must say its name out loud as you place it.

Once you say its full name, or the tile touches the table, it's dead to you: you can't take it back into your hand or use it for a joker exchange. But if you've only said part of the name (like “seven”) and it's still in your hand, you can change your mind.

Meanwhile, other players can still call your discard (to complete a group) until the next player racks, discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong. A discard can never be used for a joker exchange, though — those always come from a player's own hand.When can you call a tile? →

When a player wins on a discard, the discarder pays the winner 2× the hand value, while the other two players pay only 1×.How scoring works →

One of the three suits, depicted as round circles or coins. Numbered 1–9, 4 copies of each in the set.The 152 tiles, explained →

Three types: Red Dragon (中), Green Dragon (發), and the White Dragon — the marked playing tile everyone calls Soap. 4 copies of each.The 152 tiles, explained →

Each Dragon belongs to a suit: Red Dragon with Craks, Green Dragon with Bams, and Soap (White Dragon) with Dots. When a hand on the card asks for dragons that match a suit, this pairing is what it means. Winds, Flowers, and Jokers, by contrast, belong to no suit at all.The 152 tiles, explained →

The player who starts with the extra 14th tile and makes the first discard — the official start of the game. East breaks the wall and draws first. The other seats are also named by direction, though those terms are rarely used outside tournaments. After each hand, East rotates to the right (counter-clockwise).How to set up the game →

Laying a called group face-up on top of your rack so all players can see it. Required when you call a discard for a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet. Once finalized, an exposure can't be taken back. A mistake caught while the exposure is still being made may be corrected. Exposures reveal information to opponents — every exposure is a tell.Exposed vs. concealed hands →

A hand marked "X" on the card. You may call tiles and expose groups during play. Usually easier to build than concealed hands.Exposed vs. concealed hands →

An exposure is a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet you make by calling another player's discard and placing the completed group face-up on top of your rack. Hands marked X on the NMJL® card allow exposures; hands marked C are concealed and do not allow exposures during play.

Calling Mahjong when your hand isn't actually valid. What happens depends on what was exposed. If you exposed no new tiles for the declaration, you can take it back without penalty, and the hand stays alive — whether you drew the tile yourself or claimed a discard. If you exposed only a valid exposure completed by the claimed discard, retract the Mahjong and keep that exposure; the hand stays alive, you discard normally, and play continues with the player on your right. Only a claimed discard can be stepped back this way, so a self-drawn declaration that exposed tiles is dead. Once tiles for an invalid Mahjong are exposed, the hand is dead for the rest of the hand: your turn ends with no discard, play goes to the next live player on your right, and you stay seated but stop drawing and discarding, and still pay the winner if someone else goes out. If another player can legally use that same claimed discard for Mahjong, they may take it; otherwise it stays with the dead hand.What is a dead hand? →

The mandatory first three passes: right → across → left. Everyone must do all three. Cannot be skipped. The one exception is a Heavenly Hand: if East's original 14 tiles are already Mahjong, East declares immediately and no Charleston takes place.What is the Charleston? →

There are 8 Flower tiles in the set. They usually show different pictures (sometimes called 4 flowers + 4 seasons), but at the American table they're all just "Flowers" — any Flower works as any other, and they belong to no suit. They're regular playing tiles that show up as F in specific hands on the card.What are Flowers? →

Shifting from playing to win to playing to not lose. You keep playing — drawing and discarding — but choose only your lowest-risk discards because an opponent is dangerously close to winning.Strategy for winning →

Same word, 3 meanings:
• Your hand — the tiles you're holding
• A winning hand — the pattern you're building
• A hand of Mahjong — one complete round

The number printed next to each hand on the NMJL® card — the base amount each losing player pays the winner. Printed values generally reflect difficulty, but the number is not a simple ranking of which hand you should choose. Bonuses like discarder-pays-double and the jokerless double are applied on top of this printed number.How scoring works →

A suit that nobody at the table is discarding. Usually means at least one opponent is hoarding it. Avoid feeding the hot suit.Strategy for winning →

The wild-card tile. There are 8 in the set. Jokers may substitute in any group of 3+ identical tiles (Pungs, Kongs, Quints, Sextets), but never in a pair or single. Cannot be passed in the Charleston, cannot be called from the discard pile.Joker rules explained →

On your turn, if any exposed group contains a joker and you have the real tile that joker stands for, you can swap your real tile for the joker. Hand the tile to the player whose rack holds the joker — never reach onto their rack yourself. The tile you give always comes from your hand — never from the discard pile.Joker rules explained →

A winning hand with no jokers pays double. Stacks with the discarder / self-pick bonus. Exception: Singles & Pairs hands already have the bonus baked into the printed value — don't double them again.How scoring works →

The official NMJL® rule covering the jokerless bonus: a winning hand with no jokers pays double the normal value. Exception: Singles & Pairs hands can't use jokers at all, so they don't get the extra double — their printed value already reflects it. (The exact article number varies by rulebook edition — check your current NMJL® card.)How scoring works →

Four identical tiles. Can be made by drawing all four yourself, or by calling a discarded 4th when you already hold three. Jokers can substitute in a Kong.Pung, Kong, and Quint →

A hand category built around the same number across multiple suits (e.g. groups of 5 Crak, 5 Bam, 5 Dot). Usually visible on the card under "Like Numbers."How to read the NMJL card →

The win declaration. You say "Mahjong!" the moment your 14 tiles match a hand on the card. If you're winning on someone's discard, you must call it before the next player racks, discards, starts a Joker exchange, or declares Mahjong; a self-picked win you declare on your own turn.Strategy for winning →

Announcing a discarded tile by the wrong name. Covered by NMJL® Article 67 — if Mahjong is called on a misnamed tile, the game stops, and the misnamer alone pays that player 4× the hand value. If an exposure is called on a misnamed tile, the call is invalid (no penalty unless the claimer prematurely makes an incorrect exposure, which kills their hand).The full rulebook →

The shuffle. All 152 tiles are placed face-down and mixed around by hand before building the wall. Also called "washing."How to set up the game →

Official NMJL® rule: every discard must be announced out loud as it's placed. Other players need to hear the tile name in order to call it.Table etiquette →

Mnemonic for the four Wind tiles: North, East, West, South — the order they're commonly listed in hands on the card. Play itself simply moves to your right around the table, starting with East.How to read the NMJL card →

The National Mah Jongg League® — the organization that publishes the official annual card and standardized American Mahjong rules.The 2026 NMJL card →

Needing exactly one more tile to complete your hand. Being one away is when calling matters most — and when opponents' defenses go up. Many players say they are waiting, or that a hand is set; it all means one tile from Mahjong.Strategy for winning →

Two identical tiles. Cannot be formed by calling (except as the final tile of a Mahjong claim). Jokers cannot substitute in a pair, ever.Joker rules explained →

Etiquette convention: after you draw a tile, count to about 3 before placing it on the sloped part of your rack. That pause is the window where any other player can call the previous discard. Racking too quickly can rob a legitimate call.Table etiquette →

Taking a tile from the wall before it's your turn. Reaching toward the wall isn't the violation on its own — during play, the moment you actually pick the tile up, your hand is dead. Dealing and the Charleston follow their own rules.Strategy for winning →

Switching from your primary candidate hand to a backup mid-game when the primary stalls (e.g., key tiles are dead in the discard pile or opponents are racing ahead). A successful pivot keeps you in the running; a poorly-timed pivot wastes draws. Best done before the wall gets short.Strategy for winning →

Three identical tiles. Can be made by drawing them yourself or by calling a discarded 3rd when you already hold two matching tiles (two real, one real plus a joker, or two jokers). Jokers can substitute in a Pung.Pung, Kong, and Quint →

Sliding your wall forward toward the center of the table so it can be drawn from. When the current wall runs out during the deal, the next player to the left (clockwise) pushes their wall in. See also Curtsy.How to set up the game →

The long flat arm attached to (or paired with) your rack, used to slide your wall of tiles toward the center of the table without knocking it over. American sets usually include four. They're not required — you can push the wall by hand — but they keep the wall straight and save your back.How to set up the game →

Five identical tiles — yes, that exists in some hands on the card. Since only 4 copies of each number, wind, or dragon tile exist, a quint of those always uses at least one joker — and the tiles you hold to make it can even be all jokers.Pung, Kong, and Quint →

A category of hands on the NMJL® card built around 5-tile groups (Quints). Because only 4 copies of each number, wind, or dragon tile exist, a Quint of those needs at least one Joker. Specific Quints hands change yearly, but the category always features Quints prominently.How to read the NMJL card →

The tile holder in front of each player. Has a ledge where your tiles sit facing you (hidden from others) and a flat top area where exposed groups go when you call.How to set up the game →

Placing a drawn tile onto your rack. After someone discards, the next player should pause briefly before racking to give others a chance to call.When can you call a tile? →

Tracking which tiles have been discarded or exposed so you know what's still "live." Once the other 3 copies of a tile you hold are visible, no natural copies are unseen. That makes it the lowest risk — not guaranteed safe, because a player holding Jokers could still call it for a group, or win on it.Strategy for winning →

Mnemonic for the Charleston sequence: Right → Over (across) → Left → Left → Over → Right → optional courtesy. The two halves mirror each other around the "LL" in the middle.What is the Charleston? →

A hand category that requires all groups to be in a single suit (all Bams, all Craks, or all Dots). Listed on the card as "Same Color" or similar.How to read the NMJL card →

The optional second round of three passes (left → across → right) that happens after the first Charleston. Any one player can call "stop" to skip it — no agreement or reason needed — but only before anyone looks at the tiles coming in on its first (left) pass. Once the second Charleston starts, all three passes must be completed; you can't stop partway through. The Courtesy Pass still follows.What is the Charleston? →

Drawing your winning tile from the wall yourself, with no discard involved. All three other players pay double.How scoring works →

Six identical tiles — a rare group that appears on only a few hands. On the 2026 card, Sextets are Flower groups (any mix of Flowers and Jokers). Since only 4 copies of each number, wind, or dragon tile exist, a sextet of those would need at least two jokers.Pung, Kong, and Quint →

A hand category made entirely of pairs and single tiles. Jokers cannot be used anywhere in a Singles & Pairs hand. The jokerless bonus is already baked into the printed value, so don't double these at payout.How to read the NMJL card →

The everyday name for the White Dragon — a marked playing tile, not one of the unmarked spare blanks that come in the box. It pulls double duty: it's a Dragon in Winds & Dragons hands, and wherever the card shows a 0, that 0 is a Soap. Used as a zero it is suitless — it belongs to no suit.The 152 tiles, explained →

Local customs a group agrees to that go beyond (or bend) official NMJL® rules — extra penalties for a false Mahjong, blanks as wilds, different stakes, and so on. None are official, and every group's mix is different. When you join a new table, it's perfectly polite to ask about any table rules before the first hand.Table etiquette →

Commenting on the live hand — hinting at what you're collecting, reacting to a discard, or coaching another player mid-hand. It's considered poor form, because stray remarks leak information the tiles are meant to keep hidden. Save the analysis for after someone calls Mahjong.Table etiquette →

The information leak when an opponent calls and exposes. Every exposure tells you their suit focus, number focus, and likely hand category. Your defense depends on reading them.Strategy for winning →

Pushing your tiles face-down into the center at the end of a hand to mix them with the rest of the set. Once the winner's hand is verified and payouts are settled, everyone throws their tiles in and the next round begins. Don't throw your hand in before a Mahjong call is verified. If the declaration is invalid, the game may continue—but a player whose tiles were thrown in cannot continue with that hand.Table etiquette →

The 4-sided structure of stacked tiles in the middle of the table at the start of the game. Each side is built by one player: 19 tiles long, 2 high.How to set up the game →

A hand where the wall runs out before anyone calls Mahjong. No payments are made. Reshuffle and redeal.The full rulebook →

Four types — East (東), South (南), West (西), North (北) — with 4 copies of each. Used in specific hands on the card and to mark seating positions.The 152 tiles, explained →

A category of hands on the NMJL® card built primarily from the four Winds (N, E, W, S) and three Dragons (Red, Green, Soap). Often combined with Flowers, and some lines add a paired number group — the numbers can vary, so check the parentheses.How to read the NMJL card →

A hand built around the digits of the year printed on the NMJL® card you're playing (2-0-2-6 on the 2026 card). Often the easiest place for a beginner to start, since the digits are usually easy to spot in your starting tiles.How to read the NMJL card →