If you’re wondering about Mount Yōtei in Hokkaidō (the namesake for Ghost of Yōtei), say it with a long “o”: YOH-tei. That long vowel is the whole point of the macron over the o. Without the macron, yotei is a different Japanese word that means “plan” or “schedule,” and it has a short o.

Quick answer: say “YOH-tei”

  • Yōtei (ようてい / 羊蹄) → “YOH-tei” with a held, single o sound.
  • Don’t split it into two vowels (“yo-oo-tei”) and don’t turn it into “yo-tai.”
  • Keep both syllables even; Japanese doesn’t stress syllables the way English does.

Why the macron (ō) changes the sound

In Japanese, the long o in Yōtei is written with おう (o + u) in kana: ようてい. That second character doesn’t make a separate “u” sound; it lengthens the “o.” Many romanization styles mark this by adding a macron (ō). You’ll also see it written as “Youtei” to hint at the underlying おう spelling.

By contrast, the everyday word yotei (“plan/schedule”) is よてい — there’s no vowel lengthening, so the o is short.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • “yo-u-tei” — adding an audible “u.” The u only lengthens the o.
  • “yo-tai” — swapping the final sound; the second syllable is “tei,” like “tay.”
  • “yah-tay” — the first syllable is “yo,” not “ya.”
  • Over-stressing “YO” — aim for two even beats: “yo” + “tei.”

Same long-ō pattern you already know

This is the same vowel-length rule you hear in names like Hokkaidō and Tōkyō: the おう (or おお) spelling creates a longer single “o,” not an extra syllable. Yōtei follows the same pattern.

Spellings you’ll see and how to say them

Term Japanese Meaning Say it like… Notes
Yōtei ようてい / 羊蹄（base of 羊蹄山） Mount name “YOH-tei” Long o; sometimes written “Youtei.”
Yōtei-zan 羊蹄山 Full “Mount Yōtei” “YOH-tei-zahn” “-zan” means “mountain.”
yotei よてい / 予定 Plan, schedule “yo-tei” (short o) Different word; no macron.

Hear the difference in context

  • Mountain: 羊蹄山に登る予定です。→ Talking about climbing Mount Yōtei.
  • Schedule: 予定より遅れています。→ “It’s behind schedule.” Here, yotei is the short-o “plan/schedule.”

For the mountain and the game, hold the first vowel: YOH-tei. If you’re talking about a plan or schedule, it’s the short-o yotei. Keep the vowels clean, don’t insert an extra “u,” and you’ll be right on target.