Mahjong Wind Tiles Explained: North, East, West, South

The four wind tiles are among the most recognizable tiles in any mahjong set.

How many wind tiles are there?

There are four winds (North, East, West and South) and four copies of each, for 16 wind tiles in both American and Chinese sets. See the full count in how many tiles are in a mahjong set.

How to recognize them

Traditional sets show the Chinese character for each direction, usually with a small N, E, W or S in the corner. Many modern sets print the letters large and clear.

Seat winds

Each seat at the table is named after a wind. The dealer is always East, and the other seats follow counter-clockwise: South, West and North.

Winds in American mahjong

Winds appear in many hands on the yearly card, especially in the winds and dragons section, often as groups of three or four of the same wind. Jokers can stand in for winds in any group of three or more.

Winds in Chinese mahjong

In Chinese mahjong, the prevailing wind of the round and your own seat wind can add points when you collect three of them.

Next, read mahjong tile names and meanings or browse mahjong tile sets.