3 syllables: de, part, ure. Stress on part.
/dɪˈpɑrtʃɚ/
Say it backDeparture refers to the act of leaving a place or the starting point of a journey. It can denote the moment a person or thing goes away, or metaphorically signal a change or exit from a situation. In travel, it marks the scheduled time when passengers begin their journey, as opposed to arrival. The term carries neutral to slightly formal connotations depending on context.
"The train’s departure is scheduled for 9:15 a.m."
"Her departure from the company came after ten years of service."
"We watched the departure board to confirm the next flight."
Pronounce it as di-PAR-chər in US and UK rhotic varieties, with the primary stress on the second syllable: /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/ (US) and /dɪˈpɑːtʃə/ (UK, non-rhotic ending often reduced). The initial /dɪ/ is a short, light vowel, the middle /ˈpɑːr/ contains a strong open back vowel, then /tʃ/ as in 'check', followed by a soft /ər/ or /ə/. When speaking clearly, ensure the /tʃ/ cluster is released crisply and the final /ər/ is reduced to a schwa in non-rhotic speech. Audio resources: listen to careful enunciation on Pronounce, Forvo entries for departure, and Echoic examples in pronunciation tutorials.
Common errors include devoicing or softening the /t/ before /ʃ/ resulting in /dɪˈpɑːrʃə/ or /dɪˈpɑːrtʃɚ/. Another mistake is misplacing stress, saying de-PAR-ture with the stress on the first syllable. Also, some learners merge /tʃ/ with /r/ or mispronounce /ər/ as a full syllable rather than a reduced schwa. Correction: keep stress on the second syllable, articulate /tʃ/ clearly after /ɑːr/, and shorten the final /ər/ to a soft, unstressed /ə/ or /ər/ depending on accent. Practice with slow, deliberate releases and minimal pairs focusing on /ˈpɑːr/ and /tʃ/ sequences.
In US English, you’ll hear /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/ with rhotic /r/ in all positions and a clear /ɔː/ or /ɑː/ in the second syllable. UK English tends to be non-rhotic, often /dɪˈpɑːtʃə/ with a weaker or elided final /r/. Australian English is rhotic to some degree but with a shorter, flatter final schwa: /dɪˈpɑːtʃə/. The key differences are rhoticity, vowel quality in /ɑː/ and the treatment of the final syllable, where US keeps a pronounced /ər/ whereas UK reduces to /ə/.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /pɑːrtʃ/ where /tʃ/ follows a long open vowel and the 'r' quality in rhotic accents influences vowel shaping. Learners often misplace the /t/ and merge /tʃ/ with /r/ or /dʒ/. The sequence /ɑːrtʃ/ requires precise tongue-tip contact for /t/ and a smooth transfer to /tʃ/. Additionally, the ending /ər/ in rhotic accents can be challenging if the speaker over-reduces it. Practice the transition from /ɑːr/ to /tʃər/ with a clear, immediate release.
A distinctive aspect is the /p/ followed by /tʃ/ sequence. Ensure there is a brief but audible stop for /p/ before the /tʃ/, avoiding a merged /ptʃ/ sound. The second syllable contains a strong /ɑːr/ in rhotic accents, and the /r/ can influence preceding vowel length. In non-rhotic accents, the /r/ is not pronounced fully, which makes the /ə/ at the end more prominent. Focus on the clean boundary between /p/ and /tʃ/ and maintain a clear primary stress on the second syllable.
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Departure comes from Old French partire, meaning 'to part, to separate' (from Latin partire, 'to divide, part'), which itself derives from pars, partis 'part, portion'. The English noun form began to appear in the 14th century, evolving from the idea of parting or dividing from a location or situation. In Middle English usage, departure captured both physical leaving and figurative exiting from status or duty. By the 16th-17th centuries, it commonly referred to the act of leaving a place (as in travel schedules and military movements). Over time, the word broadened to include the act of beginning a journey and, in metaphorical uses, departures from norms or expectations. The semantic core remains tied to “parting” or “moving away,” but modern contexts emphasize timing (departures boards, scheduled departures) and intentionality (a deliberate departure from routine). First known uses appear in legal and navigational texts, with broader travel-related usage emerging in lexicons as global travel expanded.
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Words that rhyme with "departure"
-ure sounds
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