Should the beginning of denouement be written with the den blend or as d-e-n? If it was a more common word, I would expect to use the den blend, but I’m hesitant.
I apologize for the blurry, unsteady outlines, but hopefully the difference is clear. Which one looks more correct?
It depends.
If in English, neither is correct. Since dénouement it is pronounced with the long a (according to Merriam-Webster) and with the "man" ending, it is written: d – a – n – oo hook – men blend. This is the way it appears in the DJS and S90 dictionaries.
If in French, the outlines that you wrote apply: the blend is used in Anniversary and Simplified, while in DJS and S90, the e is spelled.
At the end, it's up to you how to write it, as long as you can transcribe it!
Interesting. I had always heard it the one way (dehNOOment) and was unaware that there were other ways to pronounce it. Looking it up, all I can find is the French pronunciation, which is definitely not what I'm used to hearing. It's also possible that I misheard it in the past.
Thank you for the additional info.
You're welcome!