English vocabulary guide
The Departed
Vocabulary-Rich — Its subtitles contain a comparatively high share of advanced or rare vocabulary, making it better suited to confident learners.
- Vocabulary size
- 1,797
- Word occurrences
- 14,240
- IMDb rating
- ★ 8.5
Vocabulary profile by level
The percentages show unique vocabulary items and phrases found in the available English subtitles.
Useful vocabulary from The Departed
Frequently occurring intermediate, advanced, and phrasal vocabulary with real subtitle examples.
| Level | Vocabulary | Occurrences | Subtitle example |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2 | cop | 67 | COP 1 : Come on, let's go. Settle down. Let's go. lt's all over. |
| B2 | rat | 27 | Fucking rats. It's wearing me thin. |
| B1 | undercover | 14 | Staff Sergeant Dignam is our liaison to the undercover section. |
| B2 | file | 12 | I got no access to Queenan's undercover files. He and Dignam run the snitches. |
| Rare | fitzy | 12 | That's Fitzy. Off-the-boat psycho, lives in Brockton with his mother. |
| B2 | get in | 12 | You know, if you went alone once in a while you might get somewhere. |
| A1 | look at | 12 | BARRIGAN: What are you looking at? |
| C1 | ringing | 12 | [PHONE RINGING] |
| Rare | delahunt | 11 | DELAHUNT: l'm a cash business myself. -What's he doing, setting up IRAs? |
| B1 | trust | 10 | Do you trust him? |
How to study with this movie
Preview the vocabulary above, watch a short scene with English subtitles, and replay it without pausing. Save complete expressions rather than isolated words. These figures describe subtitle vocabulary; accent, delivery speed, sound mixing, and story familiarity also affect comprehension.
More popular movies for learning English
How difficult is The Departed in English?
The Departed: 58.5% A1–A2 vocabulary; 16.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary. Vocabulary size: 1,729.
Unique vocabulary
- For A2 learners: 28.7% of unique vocabulary is above A2 or marked rare. Expect substantial preparation; start with short scenes and English subtitles.
- For B1 learners: 16.3% of unique vocabulary is above B1 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
- For B2 learners: 11.2% of unique vocabulary is above B2 or marked rare. Preview recurring words and use English subtitles.
12.8% Unclassified. Unclassified vocabulary has no reliable level assignment.
Vocabulary weighted by word occurrences
89.2% A1–A2 vocabulary; 3.9% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary; 4.4% Unclassified.
This counts repeated eligible words. Phrases are excluded from this calculation to avoid counting their component words twice.
Recurring words and phrases to preview
- cop (B2): 67 occurrences in available subtitles.
English meaning: An informal word for a police officer.
Subtitle example:
COP 1 : Come on, let's go. Settle down. Let's go. lt's all over.
- rat (B2): 27 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Fucking rats. It's wearing me thin.
- undercover (B1): 14 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
Staff Sergeant Dignam is our liaison to the undercover section.
- file (B2): 12 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
I got no access to Queenan's undercover files. He and Dignam run the snitches.
- fitzy (rare): 12 occurrences in available subtitles.
Subtitle example:
That's Fitzy. Off-the-boat psycho, lives in Brockton with his mother.
Compare with titles in similar genres
- The Business: 16.3% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.1 percentage points less than The Departed).
- Nightmare Alley: 16.1% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.2 percentage points less than The Departed).
- U Turn: 16.6% B2, C1, and rare vocabulary (0.3 percentage points more than The Departed).
A short study session
- Prepare. Review three recurring terms below. Write your own sentence for each and check its meaning against the subtitle example. cop, rat, undercover.
- Listen and check. Choose a two-minute conversation. Listen without subtitles and note who wants what. Replay with English subtitles, then without them. Compare the actual pronunciation, word linking, and pace with what you expected; vocabulary percentages do not measure accents or listening speed.
- Use the language. Write or say four sentences answering this prompt. Include two terms you reviewed. Revisit them tomorrow and one week later. Writing prompt: Describe what a character says publicly and what the viewer knows privately.
These percentages describe vocabulary, not the proportion of dialogue you will understand. CEFR labels are estimates, not official film ratings. Accent, speed, songs, context, and your own vocabulary also affect comprehension. Repeated occurrences may include repeated dialogue or lyrics.
How we estimate vocabulary difficulty · Evidence generated: