The Quechua of Pacaraos was investigated by the Dutch linguist Willem F. H. Adelaar in the 1970s, when it was still spoken by women in their sixties and older.
Around the year 2000 there were possibly no active speakers left, but there are probably some people with passive knowledge who grew up with their grandparents.
In contrast to other Quechua varianties it distinguishes between a simple [r] (tap, e.g. rapqan "they both") and a vibrant [rr] (e.g. rraqak "girl").
As in some dialects of Ancash Quechua /č/ has become [s] (e.g. say "that") and /s/ has turned to [h] (e.g. huti "name", haĉa "plant", rrahu "snow").
Some words of Pacaraos Quechua are unique, e.g. arapu- "to answer", chaqpa "clothes", rapqa- "both".