How do the sound systems of Eskimo languages differ across dialects?

It is important to note that while the term "Eskimo" has historically been used to describe this language family, it is now widely considered pejorative and offensive; many linguists and communities prefer terms such as "Inuit-Yupik-Unangan" or "Eskaleut".1

The sound systems of these languages exhibit significant variation across dialects:

Consonants

• Inventory Size: The number of distinctive consonants ranges from 13 to 27 depending on the dialect.2
• Palatal Sounds: Alaskan Yupik features a palatal c (similar to English ch), which corresponds to an s in other dialects, while in parts of Canada, this sound has shifted to h.2
• Continuants: Voiced and voiceless varieties of continuant consonants (such as v, l, g, and the uvular r) are distinctive sounds in western dialects but function only as variants in eastern Inuit dialects.2
• Nasal Sounds: Yupik dialects uniquely include voiceless nasals, which are produced without vocal cord vibration.2

Vowels

• Vowel Inventory: All languages utilize the vowels a, i, and u.3
• The e Vowel: Yupik retains a short e sound, whereas in Inuit dialects, this has merged with i, and in Unangam Tunuu, it has either merged with a, i, or u, or been dropped entirely.3