Depart vs Exit vs He'd have to leave home

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Depart

Top 2,000 (common)B2verb

Exit

Top 1,000 (very common)B2noun

He'd have to leave home

Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Exit
 DepartExitHe'd have to leave home
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //dɪˈpɑːt//🇺🇸 //dɪˈpɑrt//🇬🇧 /["/ˈeksɪt//ˈeɡzɪt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈeksɪt//ˈeɡzɪt/"]/🇬🇧 //hiːd hæv tə liːv həʊm//🇺🇸 //hid hæv tə liv hoʊm//
MeaningTo leave a placethe way out of a placeHe must go away from where he lives.
ExampleThe train will depart from platform 5 at 3 PM.Please locate the nearest exit in case of an emergency.He'd have to leave home if he wanted to find a better job.
RegisterNeutralNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 1,000 (very common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR levelB2B2-
Part of speechverbnoun
Collocationsdepart from the norm, depart for a destination, depart on scheduleback, rear, side, head for, make for, bolt for, sign, door, gate, to the exit, towards/​toward the exit, exit from, freeway, highway, interstate, get off at, take, ramp, point, exit for, exit to, fast, hasty, quick, make, visa, poll, plan, exit fromleave home early, leave home for college, leave home suddenly
Antonymsarrive, stay, remainentrance, entry-
Common mistakesUsing 'depart' with 'from' instead of just the destination, Confusing it with 'leave', Not using it in the correct tenseConfused with 'exceed' or 'exile', Using 'exiting' incorrectly as a gerund when an action is not intended, Misplacing 'exit' in sentences, leading to awkward phrasingConfusing with 'He has to leave home' indicating a requirement., Using 'He will' instead of 'He'd', which changes the meaning and tone., Misplacing the phrase, making the sentence unclear.
Usage notesUse 'depart' in formal contexts or travel-related discussions. Less common in casual dialogue.Use 'exit' when talking about leaving a place, especially in directions or instructions. Avoid in very casual conversations where simpler words like 'leave' might fit better.Used when discussing someone's necessity to depart from their residence. Commonly used in spoken English; avoid in formal writing.

See it in real clips

Exit
He'd have to leave home

Frequently asked questions: Depart vs Exit vs He'd have to leave home

What's the difference between Depart, Exit, and He'd have to leave home?

Depart: To leave a place Exit: the way out of a place He'd have to leave home: He must go away from where he lives.

Which is more common: Depart, Exit, and He'd have to leave home?

Exit is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Depart: The train will depart from platform 5 at 3 PM. Exit: Please locate the nearest exit in case of an emergency. He'd have to leave home: He'd have to leave home if he wanted to find a better job.

Can I use Depart, Exit, and He'd have to leave home interchangeably?

Not always. Depart, Exit, and He'd have to leave home are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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