American Mahjong Terminology

American Mahjong has a language of its own, and some familiar Mahjong words mean different things across regional versions of the game. This glossary explains terms commonly heard in NMJL-style American Mahjong. Your group may use local shorthand, so use the current card and rules as the authority whenever a term affects a hand or procedure.

For the larger picture, start with EASTA’s complete guide to American Mahjong. If you are learning the sequence of a round, see how to play American Mahjong.

Core terms

American Mahjong

A regional form of Mahjong commonly played in the United States. NMJL-style play uses an annual card of permitted winning hands and commonly includes a Charleston. It differs from other Mahjong variants in its components and rules.

NMJL

The National Mah Jongg League, an organization associated with the annual card used in a widely played form of American Mahjong. Check the card and the League’s current materials for authoritative details about that game.

Annual card

The yearly list of hands and related requirements used in NMJL-style play. Players match their tiles to a listed pattern. Because the card changes, an older card may not represent the current set of hands.

Hand

A complete arrangement of tiles that meets one pattern’s requirements on the applicable card or ruleset. In American Mahjong, a hand is not necessarily assembled from the same generic groups used in another Mahjong variant.

Mahjong

The name of the game and, in play, the call made when a player believes they have completed a legal winning hand. The hand must satisfy the governing card and rules.

Tiles and groups

Suit

One of the numbered tile families. The names, symbols, and appearance can vary by set. Read the card’s key to identify how suit references work in a listed hand.

Suit tiles

Tiles belonging to a numbered suit. American Mahjong sets commonly include three numbered suits. Do not infer a hand’s suit requirements from color alone; check the card and your set.

Winds

Directional honor tiles. They may appear in hands on the card, but their use and grouping depend on the specific pattern.

Dragons

Honor tiles commonly called dragons. Their identities and any corresponding notation should be read using the card’s key and the rules in use.

Flowers

Flower tiles included in many American Mahjong sets. A hand may use them where the card specifies. Their treatment is not automatically the same across variants or house rules.

Joker

A tile used as a substitute in certain eligible groups under American Mahjong rules. Jokers are not universally usable: the current card and rules specify where they may or may not be used. Do not assume a joker can replace any tile, especially in a pair or a concealed hand.

Pair

Two matching tiles when a listed pattern calls for a pair. A pair’s exact role and whether it may use a joker depend on the card and rules.

Pung

A term used for a group of three matching tiles in many Mahjong contexts. In American Mahjong, rely on the listed pattern’s requirements and the table’s terminology; terms inherited from other variants do not replace the card.

Kong

A term used for four matching tiles in many Mahjong contexts. Whether a group of four fits a particular American Mahjong hand depends on the card’s notation and rules.

Exposure

A group of tiles placed face up on a player’s rack or otherwise shown according to the table’s procedure, often after a permitted claim. Exposure can affect what hands remain possible. Follow the card and current rules about when a group may be exposed.

Concealed hand

A hand that has not been exposed in the manner defined by the applicable rules. Whether a pattern is concealed and how that affects claims or jokers must be checked against the card and rules.

The table and the round

Wall

The arranged supply of tiles from which players draw during a round. Wall construction, the break, and dealing procedures depend on the rules being used.

Charleston

The organized opening exchange in NMJL-style American Mahjong, during which players pass selected tiles according to a prescribed sequence. Directions and optional procedures should be confirmed for the rules at your table. Read What Is the Charleston? for more.

Pass

Tiles transferred to another player during the Charleston or another procedure defined by the rules. The direction, count, and timing of a pass are rule-specific.

Draw

Taking a tile during a player’s turn as directed by the rules. Which tile is drawn and what follows can depend on the game state and rule set.

Discard

A tile a player releases during a turn. A discard may be available for a permitted claim; who may claim it and for what purpose are governed by the rules.

Claim

A declaration that a player is taking a discard or otherwise exercising an option allowed by the rules. Do not claim a tile until you know which calls are allowed and how the table handles priority.

Call

An announcement made during play, such as claiming a discard or declaring mahjong. The required words and timing may be defined by a rule set or table procedure.

Dead hand

A status used in some American Mahjong rules when a hand can no longer win or a rule has been violated. Its causes and consequences are ruleset-specific; use your current rule source rather than assuming a universal definition.

Wall game

A round that ends without a player declaring a valid mahjong, under the applicable rules. The exact end-of-round procedure should be agreed and understood.

How to use this glossary

Some words—such as pung, kong, and concealed—also appear in other Mahjong variants. Similar words do not guarantee identical procedures. American Mahjong’s card-based patterns, joker restrictions, and Charleston are part of a particular style of play; Chinese Classical, Riichi, Hong Kong, and other variants have their own rules.

When you hear a term you do not know:

1. Ask which ruleset the table is using.
2. Look up the term in that ruleset’s current material.
3. Check how it applies to the specific hand on the card.
4. Ask the group to clarify any house convention before acting.

Continue with American Mahjong rules, the beginner’s guide, or the American Mahjong tiles guide. EASTA’s EASTA 001 page introduces the brand’s design work; it is the place to check for current product information.

Frequently asked questions