How many mahjong tile types are there?

There are two ways to count mahjong tiles: how many physical tiles (144) and how many different designs. The design count tells you what you actually have to match.

Quick answer: There are 42 different tile designs in a standard mahjong set. That is 27 suit designs (three suits numbered 1 to 9), four Winds, three Dragons, and eight unique bonus tiles (four Flowers and four Seasons). With four copies of most tiles, the designs add up to 144 tiles.

The five groups

Every tile belongs to one of five families:

  • Circles (Dots): 1 to 9.
  • Bamboo: 1 to 9.
  • Characters: 1 to 9.
  • Winds: East, South, West, North.
  • Dragons: Red, Green, White.

On top of those come the 8 bonus tiles: 4 Flowers and 4 Seasons.

Counting the designs

The three suits give 27 designs (9 each). Add 4 Winds and 3 Dragons for 34, then 8 unique bonus tiles for a total of 42 distinct designs. Because there are four copies of each of the 34 suit, Wind, and Dragon designs, plus the 8 single bonus tiles, you land on 144 physical tiles.

Why it matters for play

Knowing the groups helps you scan faster. A Bamboo tile will never match a Circle, and a Wind never matches a Dragon. Only the Flowers and Seasons match loosely within their own group. Get to know each family on the tile glossary.

Browse the tile glossary

Related questions

What are the three suits in mahjong?

The three suits are Circles (also called Dots), Bamboo, and Characters. Each suit runs from 1 to 9, with four copies of every number. That makes 36 tiles per suit and 108 suit tiles in total, the bulk of a 144-tile set.

What are Wind and Dragon tiles?

Winds and Dragons are the honor tiles in a mahjong set. There are four Winds (East, South, West, North) and three Dragons (Red, Green, White), with four copies of each. That is 16 Wind tiles and 12 Dragon tiles, 28 honor tiles in all.

What are Flower and Season tiles?

Flowers and Seasons are the 8 bonus tiles in a mahjong set: 4 Flower tiles and 4 Season tiles. Unlike every other tile, they do not need an exact twin. Any Flower matches any other Flower, and any Season matches any other Season.

How many tiles are in a mahjong set?

A standard mahjong set has 144 tiles, which is exactly 72 matching pairs in Mahjong Solitaire. That total breaks down into 108 suit tiles, 16 Wind tiles, 12 Dragon tiles, and 8 bonus tiles (4 Flowers and 4 Seasons).