Northern Russian Dialects - Phonology

Phonology

• Dialects of this group do not exhibit typical vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. Unstressed /o/ is pronounced clearly (the phenomenon called okanye/оканье).
• Some dialects have high or diphthongal /e̝~i̯ɛ/ in the place of Proto-Slavic *ě and /o̝~u̯ɔ/ in stressed closed syllables (like in some Ukrainian dialects) instead of Standard Russian /e/ and /o/.
• In Novgorod sub-group only one voiceless affricate exists. Merging of Standard Russian /t͡ʃ/ and /t͡s/ into one consonant whether /t͡s/ or /t͡ɕ/ (like in Pskov and Ryazan Southern Russian dialects).
• In Vologda region substitution of final hard /ɫ/ by semivowel /w~u̯/.
• /ɡ/, /v/, /f/ are like in Standard Russian (differs from Southern Russian). Nevertheless in some sub-dialects /v/, /f/ can also be replaced with semivowel /w~u̯/ like in Southern Russian.