Southern Italian dialects are a group of regional languages spoken in the southern regions of Italy, including Campania, Calabria, Sicily, and parts of Apulia. These dialects have distinct phonetic, grammatical, and vocabulary features that set them apart from standard Italian. They often reflect the historical influences of various cultures, including Greek, Arabic, and Spanish. Each dialect varies significantly even within the same region, making communication challenging for speakers of different dialects. For example, the Neapolitan dialect spoken in Naples has unique expressions and sounds compared to the Sicilian dialect. Despite these differences, Southern Italian dialects share a rich cultural heritage and are an important part of local identity.