[5] The terms North and South Karelian are often avoided to avoid conflict with the Regions of Finland; North Karelia and South Karelia.

Karelian Proper and most of its dialects are mostly mutually intelligible with the Finnish language, however Karelian Proper is not entirely mutually intelligible with Livvi-Karelian.

Within the Republic of Karelia it is mainly spoken in Kalevala, Kostomuksha and Loukhi.

South Karelian is spoken in Tunkua [ru], Suikujärvi [fi], Repola, Rukajärvi, Paatene [ru], Mäntyselkä [fi], Porajärvi, Ilomantsi, Korpiselkä [fi], Suojärvi, Tver Karelia (Tver Oblast, Likhoslavl), Tihvinä, Valday, Suistamo [ru] and Impilahti.

[7] Example:[9] /b, d, ɡ, z, ʒ/ are consonants found in loanwords in Karelian Proper alongside; /dʲ lʲ nʲ rʲ sʲ tʲ/ (/zʲ/ as palatalized consonants in loanwords only in Karelian Proper.