Slova
Rendezvous is pronounced RAHN-day-voo in American English and RON-day-voo in British English. It has three syllables with the stress on the first. The z and the final s are both silent, as in French.
rendezvous
noun and verb · an arranged meeting, or the place for it; to meet as arranged
Also said: US /ˈrɑːn.dɪ.vuː/; UK /ˈrɒn.dɪ.vuː/.
IPA checked in the Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Oxford also lists a lighter middle syllable: RON-dih-voo, or RAHN-dih-voo in American English. The recording is American English.
Each sound in the IPA, with a word you already know that has it.
US American English/ˈrɑːn.deɪ.vuː/
RAHNstressed
day
voo
UK British English/ˈrɒn.deɪ.vuː/
RONstressed
day
voo
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Tip. The z is silent: dez sounds like day. The s at the end is silent too.
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rendezvous
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What people often say instead, and how to fix it. Say RAHN-day-voo.
NotREN-dez-vus
Reading it as English, with every letter said. The z and s are silent: RON-day-voo.
Notron-day-VOO
Stressing the end, as French speakers might. In English the stress is on the first syllable.
NotRON-dez-voo
Saying the z. Rendez sounds like RON-day.
Hear each one, slow it down, then say it. Words change a little when they join others, so practise them in sentences too.
We arranged a rendezvous at the old bridge.
The two ships will rendezvous at noon.
The cafe became a popular rendezvous for artists.
Rendezvous is French. It comes from rendez-vous, an instruction that means roughly present yourselves, or go to a place. In French the z of rendez and the s of vous are not said, and English kept that.
English changed other parts. French has a nasal vowel at the start; English speakers say a clear RON or RAHN with a real n. And where French gives weight to the end, English stresses the first syllable.
The plural is spelled the same, but you add a z sound: RON-day-vooz. Oxford lists this, and it also lists a lighter middle syllable, RON-dih-voo. Rendezvous works as a verb too: the ships will rendezvous at noon.
Rhymes and words that share its tricky sound. Open any of them in the checker and say it.
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