This Mahjong Island glossary defines every word a player meets, one short line each. Where traditional mahjong uses another name, it appears beside the Island word. Start with the core idea. You win by completing one hand on the Island Card: 14 tiles that match one line on the card.
Tile words
These words name the tiles themselves. Mahjong Island plays with 152 tiles. There are three suits, Bam, Crak, and Dot, each numbered 1 to 9, plus 8 Flowers and 8 Jokers. The Winds are East, South, West, and North, and the Dragons are Red, Green, and White, with 4 copies of each.
For a closer look at every tile, read Mahjong Island Tiles Explained: Suits, Winds, and Dragons. The short lesson Winds and Dragons are honors shows the Honors one by one.
What are Groups, Sets, and Pairs?
A Group is identical tiles that belong together on a line of the Island Card. Each hand on the card is written as Groups and Singles. For example, three Red Dragons are a Set, and two Red Dragons are a Pair. Four 5 Crak tiles are a Quad.
To practice these words with real tiles, watch the lesson Groups and Pairs.
Words for the card and winning
The Island Card is the list of hands you can win with. The Island Card 2027 has 45 hands in 9 sections, and each month adds 3 Bonus Hands. The sections are Island Year, Tide Pools, Coral, Waves, Trade Winds, Mirrors, Compass, Volcano, and Shells. A new card is released each January 1 and never changes once released.
To see how the card is laid out, read Mahjong Island Winning Hands: How the Island Card Works.
Words for a turn at the table
These words describe what happens before and during each turn. Each player is dealt 13 tiles, and the dealer gets a 14th tile. The dealer discards first, once the Charleston is done. On your turn you draw a tile, then discard one, unless you Win.
To see these words in a full hand, read How to Play Mahjong Island: A Beginner's Guide. For every rule in one place, read Mahjong Island Rules: How to Win a Hand.
Scoring words: Chips, Mult, and Mult Hands
Every winning hand scores Chips × Mult, and only the winner scores. Chips are the points, and Mult is what they are multiplied by. A numbered tile is worth its number in Chips, a Wind or Dragon 10, and a Flower 5. Mult starts at 2, and Mult Hands add to it or multiply it.
For worked examples, read How Mahjong Island Scoring Works: Chips × Mult.
Why do other games use different words?
There are many regional styles of mahjong, including Chinese, Hong Kong, Japanese Riichi, and American mahjong. They name the same ideas in different ways. Even the name itself is written several ways, including mahjong, mah-jongg, and mah jong.
The best way to learn these words is to use them. Mahjong Island is free, and you can play a hand against 3 bots in your browser right away. There is no sign-up and no download. Play a hand of Mahjong Island now, or try the Daily Puzzle.