Kankana-ey has several dialects, reflecting the geographic separation and varied terrain of the communities that speak it. These dialects can be broadly categorized into two groups: the "hard" (northern) variety, spoken in areas like northern Benguet, and the "soft" (southern) variety, spoken in places like southern Benguet, parts of Mountain Province, and other areas. The distinction between hard and soft refers to certain phonetic qualities of the language, particularly the presence or absence of strong guttural sounds.