Mahjong Memory · Learn the Tiles

Learn Mahjong Tiles While You Flip: All 34 Tile Names Made Easy

Updated 2026-10-30

If you want to learn mahjong, step one is knowing the tiles. Leaving out the flower tiles, a mahjong set has 34 different tiles, four of each. Studying a chart is dull, but Mahjong Memory shows you the same tiles over and over and makes you remember where they are, so you end up learning them without noticing.

The three number suits: Characters, Dots and Bamboo

There are three suits of number tiles, each running from 1 to 9:

Bamboo is the suit people mix up most. is a bird, not a bamboo stick, and the sticks on are arranged in an M and W shape. When you flip them, say the name to yourself once.

The Winds: East, South, West and North

Each Wind tile has one big Chinese character on it, so they're easy to tell apart once you've seen them a few times. While you play, link them to directions: "East is in the top-left corner."

The Dragons: Red, Green and White

The red character, the green character, and the White Dragon, which is just a frame. The White Dragon is the one people overlook, because it looks like it has nothing on it. But it's a real tile too.

Learn as you play with Tile Names mode

1. Turn on "Tile Names" in the lobby.
2. Start with 4 × 4. Each game uses 8 different tiles.
3. When a tile flips, read the name on screen and say it along.
4. Once you've got the hang of it, switch Tile Names off and try naming each tile yourself.

A 6 × 6 daily board uses 18 kinds of tile, which is more than half of all 34. Play today's daily board every day and in a week or two you'll know most of the common tiles.

Once you know the tiles

To go further and learn mahjong itself, the Mahjong Academy tile lessons take you from the tile types all the way to building a hand. You can also bring the family along: see playing with kids and seniors. And today, why not head back to the free mahjong memory game and flip a board?

FAQ

Why are there no flower tiles in the game?

There's only one of each flower tile, so they can't make a pair. That's why the matching game only uses the 34 regular tiles.

Does Tile Names mode affect my score?

No. It only adds the tile names on screen. Flips and time are counted exactly the same way.

Keep reading

Playing with Kids and Seniors No countdown, no losing, one-sentence rules. How to pick a board and play together with kids and seniors. Memory Game Tips Flip in sections, say the names, clear the sure pairs first. Seven easy tricks to finish a memory game in fewer flips. FAQ Scoring, the daily board, saving scores, playing offline... the questions players ask most, all in one place.