[3] The Yukaghir have experienced a politically imposed language shift in recent times, resulting in a majority of speakers also speaking Russian and Yakut.

[8] These two languages share only a relatively small part of the vocabulary and are not mutually intelligible.

Some lexical differences between Kolyma Yukaghir and Tundra Yukaghir:[10]: 150 Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Cyrillic: Көдэҥ тэн – ньидитэ бандьэ параwааньэрэҥ тудэ чуҥдэн ньилдьилэк эннулҥинь-мэдьуолнуни.

Көдэҥ энмун чундэ мэ льэй, таатльэр лукундьии ньинэмдьийилпэ дитэ эннуйуол-мораwньэҥи.Latin: Ködeng ten – n'idite band'e parawaan'ereng tude chungden n'ild'ilek ennulngin'-med'uolnuni.

Ködeng enmun chunde me l'ey, taatl'er lukund'ii n'inemd'iyilpe dite ennuyuol-morawn'engi.English translation: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.