Meld Types in American Mahjong: Pairs, Pungs, Kongs, and More
A meld is just a group of tiles that goes together. American Mahjong uses several types, each with its own rules about how many tiles are needed, whether jokers are allowed, and whether you can claim discards to form one. Most of the confusion at a real table comes from mixing these up, so the first thing worth doing is naming each one and getting the rules straight.
Pair (2 tiles)
Two identical natural tiles. Two 5 Bams, two White Dragons, two East Winds. The biggest rule about pairs is that jokers cannot be used in them. A pair has to be two real tiles, no exceptions. This rule gets violated more than any other in American Mahjong, and a violation caught at verification can kill an otherwise-winning hand.
You can't call a discard to complete a pair, with one exception: if calling the tile wins you the game, the call is legal. Otherwise both tiles in a pair have to come from your own draws or from the Charleston.
Pung (3 tiles)
Three identical tiles. A Pung can include any combination of natural tiles and jokers. A Pung of 5 Craks could be three real 5 Craks, or two 5 Craks plus a joker, or one 5 Crak plus two jokers, though the last setup is strategically risky because exposed jokers invite exchange.
You can call a discard to complete a Pung if you already have two of that tile in your hand. The called Pung becomes exposed on your rack and visible to all players for the rest of the game.
Kong (4 tiles)
Four identical tiles. Same flexibility with jokers as a Pung. Many NMJL hands require at least one Kong, especially in the Quints, Year, and 369 sections.
Like Pungs, Kongs can be called from a discard if you have three matching tiles, and they can also be drawn quietly when all four naturals show up in your hand. Our Kong mechanics deep-dive covers the calling rules, replacement-tile draws, and joker-usage details.
Quint (5 tiles)
Five identical tiles. A standard mahjong set has only four copies of each natural tile, so a Quint always needs at least one joker. The category exists only in American Mahjong; no other variant of the game has it.
You cannot call a discard to make a Quint. They have to be built from your own draws plus jokers already in your hand. Our Quints category guide covers when to chase one.
Sextet (6 tiles)
Six identical tiles. Rarer than Quints, and always needs multiple jokers since only four naturals exist. Some NMJL years feature Sextets, some don't, depending on the card.
Singles in Singles and Pairs hands
The Singles and Pairs section of the card uses single tiles alongside pairs. A single isn't really a meld; it's a standalone tile filling a position in the hand. Jokers are technically allowed in single positions, but most Singles and Pairs hands rely on natural tiles in those slots, which is part of what makes the category demanding.
The summary in one paragraph
Pairs need two natural tiles and can't be called except to win. Pungs are three of a kind, jokers fine, callable. Kongs are four of a kind, also jokers-fine and callable. Quints need five tiles with at least one joker and can't be called. Sextets are six with multiple jokers, also not callable. The two axes that matter are jokers (allowed or not) and calling (allowed or not), and once you've internalized those, the rest is just counting.
How melds appear on the card
The NMJL card writes melds in compact notation. Three identical tiles next to each other usually represents a Pung. Four represents a Kong. Five represents a Quint. The card's color coding shows which suit applies, and hands that must be played concealed are marked separately. Our card-reading guide walks through the notation if you're new to it.