What Is a Pair, Pung, Kong, and Quint?
 

A pair, pung, kong, and quint are the four main types of tile groupings used to build hands in American Mah Jongg. Each grouping represents a specific number of identical tiles and is defined by NMJL rules.
 

A pair consists of two identical tiles and must always be made using natural tiles.

A pung consists of three identical tiles and may include jokers.

A kong consists of four identical tiles and may include jokers, and a quint consists of five identical tiles and must include a joker(s).
 

Understanding these groupings is essential for reading the NMJL card correctly and building legal hands that match one complete line on the card.
 

Published by the American Mah Jongg Association — the trusted home for American Mah Jongg players.