What is department? Pronunciation and usage in English

department means . Learn how to pronounce and use department through vivid examples and easy-to-understand exercises.

Definition & pronunciation of department

departmentnoun

/dɪˈpɑːtm(ə)nt/
Definition & pronunciation of department

Okay, let's break down how to pronounce "department." It's a tricky one because it's often mispronounced! Here's a breakdown:

Correct Pronunciation:

  • deh-PAR-tuh-ment

Let's break it down syllable by syllable:

  1. deh – Like the "de" in "desk" (short "e" sound)
  2. PAR – Like "par" in "park" (rhymes with "car")
  3. tuh – Like "duh"
  4. ment – Like "ment" in "comment" (rhymes with "sent")

Key Points & Common Mistakes:

  • Don't say "de-PART-ment." The stress is on the second syllable ("PAR").
  • Don't drop the "tuh" in the middle. It’s a distinct syllable.
  • Don't add an extra "r" sound. It’s not there.

Resources to Listen:

To help me give you even more targeted advice, could you tell me:

  • Are you having trouble with a specific part of the word? (e.g., the "par" sound?)

Usage and examples with the word department in English

Let's break down how to use the word "department" in English. It's a fairly common word with several different applications. Here's a breakdown of its uses, with examples:

1. As a Unit Within an Organization (Most Common)

  • Meaning: A group of people working together within a larger organization (like a company, university, government agency, etc.) who share a specific function or area of responsibility.
  • Examples:
    • "I work in the marketing department." (Meaning: I work with people who handle advertising, branding, etc.)
    • "The finance department is responsible for managing the company's money."
    • "She's the head of the human resources department."
    • "Our university has several departments, including the engineering department and the literature department."
    • "The customer service department is open until 8 pm."

2. As a Division of Government (Formal)

  • Meaning: A branch or division of a government agency that deals with a particular area of policy or administration.
  • Examples:
    • "The Department of Education oversees schools and education programs."
    • “The Department of Justice handles legal issues.”
    • “The Ministry of Health (often translated as Department of Health) is responsible for public health.” (Common in British English)

3. Referring to a Specific Area of Study (Academic)

  • Meaning: A subject or field of study offered at a school or university.
  • Examples:
    • "He's majoring in computer science department."
    • "She’s taking a course in art history department."

4. Less Common Uses

  • Department Store: A large retail store selling a wide variety of goods. ("Let's go to the department store to buy a new dress.")
  • Departmental (Adjective): related to a department (e.g., "departmental regulations," "departmental meeting").

Key Points & Tips:

  • Plural: The plural of "department" is "departments." (e.g., "We have three departments: sales, marketing, and operations.")
  • Prepositions: You often use prepositions with “department,” such as:
    • “In the department…” (e.g., “In the finance department…”)
    • “To the department…” (e.g., “Go to the customer service department.”)
    • “Of the department…” (e.g., “She’s the manager of the marketing department.”)

How to Understand its Context

The meaning of “department” is almost always clear from the context of the sentence. It’s usually referring to a group of people working together and doing a specific job.

To help me give you even more targeted advice, could you tell me:

  • What are you trying to do with the word "department"? (e.g., write a sentence, understand a passage, etc.)

Synonyms for the word department

Idioms of the word department

be somebody’s department
(informal)to be something that somebody is responsible for or knows a lot about
  • Don't ask me about it—that's her department.
in the… department
(informal)in a particular aspect or quality
  • He doesn't have much going for him in the brains department, to be honest.
  • Movies lacking in the story department can still succeed.

Practice with vocabulary department

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. The university's English ______ is renowned for its innovative linguistics research.
  2. Please contact the customer service ______ if you have any questions regarding your order.
  3. Within the marketing ______, the digital advertising team handles all online campaigns.
  4. Our company plans to open a new ______ in Shanghai next year to expand our Asian operations.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

  1. Which of these typically handles recruitment and employee training in a large company? a) The finance office b) The Human Resources ______ c) The R&D sector d) The administrative agency

  2. Which of the following terms might refer to a specialized academic unit or a division of government? (There may be multiple correct answers) a) Agency b) Bureau c) Department d) Ministry

  3. If you're looking for school supplies in a large retail store, which section are you most likely to find them in? a) The clothing aisle b) The stationery ______ c) The produce area d) The electronics sector

  4. Our project team decided to split into smaller ______ to tackle different aspects of the task more efficiently. (There may be multiple correct answers) a) Branches b) Units c) Sections d) Chapters

  5. The company's main ______ is located in downtown London, overseeing all global operations. a) Department b) Office c) Division d) Campus

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. The Human Resources office is responsible for employee recruitment and training.

    • (Rewrite using "department")

  2. Within the university, the professors specializing in biology are well-funded.

    • (Rewrite using "department")

  3. Our research team operates quite independently from the main corporate structure.

    • (Rewrite without using "department")

Answer:

Exercise 1:

  1. department
  2. department
  3. division
  4. branch

Exercise 2:

  1. b) department
  2. a) Agency, b) Bureau, c) Department, d) Ministry
  3. b) department
  4. b) Units, c) Sections
  5. b) Office

Exercise 3:

  1. The Human Resources department manages employee recruitment and training.
  2. The Biology Department within the university is well-funded.
  3. Our research team operates quite independently from the main corporate division.

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