Note: native English speakers don't pronounce "depth" with a t and h sound, they use a different consonant, where you basically bite the tip of your tongue and blow air over it, without engaging your vocal chords (the "th" in "the" is pronounced the same, but this time using your vocal chords as well - like the difference between 'p' and 'b').

I hate to contradict my sibling, but I've never heard anyone pronounce "dept." as anything other than "department."

We do in a different word: adept :)

> Now you make me wonder if English speakers ever pronounce dept. literally.

Not often, but "dept" if sometimes used as a short form of "department" in written form, and I've heard people pronounce it literally before. It certainly can be pronounced distinctly from both "debt" and "depth" by native english speakers.