Rendezvous is a formal noun meaning a prearranged meeting or gathering at a specific time and place. It can refer to a planned romantic or secret meet-up, often used in military or diplomatic contexts, or simply to a scheduled meeting. The word typically carries a slightly old-fashioned or literary tone in contemporary usage.
"They scheduled a rendezvous at the hotel lobby for 8 PM."
"The lovers kept their weekend rendezvous a secret from everyone."
"In the novel, the spies arranged a rendezvous under the cover of darkness."
"We’ll have a rendezvous by the fountain to discuss the plan."
Rendezvous comes from French, where rendez-vous literally translates to 'present yourselves' or 'to show up at a meeting.' The phrase is a compound of rendre, 'to render/return' or 'to present,' paired with vous (the old form of vous), meaning 'you' (plural). In English, the word entered via military and diplomatic usage in the 18th century, adopting the French pronunciation with stress typically on the final syllable in older usage, but shifting toward a French-final stress pattern in modern English. Early appearances appear in 18th–19th century texts related to military planning and espionage, where officers scheduled meetings or ambush points. Over time, rendezvous broadened to denote any planned meeting, often with a sense of secrecy or romance, and even used in civilian travel contexts as a scheduled gathering point. The term is now often found in literary or formal prose and in titles of spy novels, dances, or strategic meetings. The orthography preserves the French spelling, but pronunciation in English generally adapts to English phonotactics. First known English attestations align with 19th-century military or aristocratic writing, reflecting the word’s formal tone and nuanced connotation of an agreed-upon meeting place and time.
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Words that rhyme with "rendezvous"
-ous sounds
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Pronounce it as REN-də-voo in most English contexts. IPA: US /ˈrɒndɪˌvuː/, UK /ˈrɒndəˌvuː/. The primary stress is on the first syllable, with a secondary emphasis on the third syllable if you’re naturalizing the French trio. Mouth positions: start with a short, rounded 'r' with the tongue bunched near the alveolar ridge, then a short schwa-like 'uh' in the second syllable, and finish with a long 'oo' as in 'zoo'. Be mindful that many speakers reduce the middle vowel to a quick 'd' plus schwa, producing REN-duh-voo. Audio reference: try listening to native speakers via pronunciation tools or Forvo to calibrate fluency.
Common errors: 1) Flattening the middle syllable to a hard 'duh' without schwa; correct to a light, quick 'də' or 'də' sound (REN-də-VOO). 2) Misdirected final vowel: ensure the final 'voo' is long and rounded, not a short 'voh' or clipped. 3) Stress misplacement: keep primary stress on the first syllable (REN-), not equally distributing across all syllables. Tip: practice with a slow tempo and a mirror to ensure the lips round for the final 'oo' and that the middle is reduced but not dropped.
US: /ˈrɒndɪˌvuː/ with prominent first syllable stress and a strong rhotic 'r' if exaggerating; middle vowel often a schwa or /ɪ/. UK: /ˈrɒndəˌvuː/ with a lighter middle 'ə' and less rhotic influence; AU: /ˈrɒndəˌvuː/ similar to UK but with more vowel sharpening in the first syllable and a slightly broader 'oo' at the end. Across all, the final 'vu' is a clear 'voo' with a long [uː]. Differences are subtle but noticeable in rhoticity and vowel quality, especially in the middle syllable.
The difficulty lies in the French origin: the ' Rendez-' cluster prompts an initial 'r' that blends into a tentative 'ən' or 'ɒnd', plus the final 'vouz' often becomes a tense 'vu' or 'vuː' depending on speaker. Also, the middle syllable often reduces to a schwa; managing that breathier, quick reduction while preserving the long, rounded final 'oo' is challenging. Practicing with IPA helps you pinpoint the exact mouth positions and transitions.
In English, the final 's' is not pronounced; the word ends with the long 'oo' sound. Some learners mistakenly add a soft 'z' or 'zuh' at the end due to spelling. The correct flow is REN-də-ˈvuː, with the final vowel lengthened; there is no 's' consonant sound. Focusing on the nasal-free ending helps avoid an extraneous sibilant.
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