Editing Vowel harmony (section)

===Uralic languages===
Many, though not all, Uralic languages show vowel harmony between front and back vowels. Vowel harmony is often hypothesized to have existed in [[Proto-Uralic]], though its original scope remains a matter of discussion.

====Samoyedic====
Vowel harmony is found in [[Nganasan language|Nganasan]] and is reconstructed also for [[Proto-Samoyedic]].

====Hungarian====

=====Vowel types=====
[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] has a system of ''front'', ''back'', and ''intermediate'' (neutral) vowels and some vowel harmony processes. The basic rule is that words including at least one back vowel get back vowel suffixes ({{lang|hu|kar'''ba'''}} – in(to) the arm), while words excluding back vowels get front vowel suffixes ({{lang|hu|kéz'''be'''}} – in(to) the hand). Single-vowel words which have only the neutral vowels ({{lang|hu|i}}, {{lang|hu|í}} or {{lang|hu|é}}) are unpredictable, but {{lang|hu|e}} takes a front-vowel suffix.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Front
| e || é || i || í || ö || ő || ü || ű
|-
! Back
| a || á || - || - || o || ó || u || ú
|-
|}

======Vowel length======
In Hungarian language there are long, and short vowels
* There are long, and short vowel pairs which are indicated using accents in writing in all but four exceptions with the exceptions possibly be either long, or short as well
* The four exceptions are {{lang|hu|'''a'''}} [{{ipa|ɒ}}], {{lang|hu|'''á'''}} [{{ipa|a:}}], {{lang|hu|'''e'''}} [{{ipa|ɛ}}], {{lang|hu|'''é'''}} [{{ipa|e:}}]
Long vowels compared to short ones are quiet simply voiced for a longer period of time. Hungarian long vowels are '''two''' units long compared to other Uralic language Finnish's '''three''' units long vowels. In order for two vowels to be '''long-short pairs''', the long vowel pronounced short must be '''identical''' to its short pair, and vice-versa. In the case of the '''four exceptions''', this is '''not''' applicable because - contrary to their written form - the four exceptions are '''not''' two pairs of long, and short vowels, but vowels with pronunciation difference that is '''not only the length'''

In writing the long of such vowel pairs are marked with stick-like accents most of the time compared to its dot-accented, or non-accented versions
* For example {{lang|hu|pap'''í'''r}} is often pronounced [{{ipa|pɒ'''ppi'''r}}] (double "p" intentional) instead of [{{ipa|pɒ'''pi:'''r}}]
In the four exceptions case the stick-like accent ({{lang|hu|'''á'''}} [{{ipa|a:}}], {{lang|hu|'''é'''}} [{{ipa|e:}}]) refer to long length most if not all the time
* ''Note - while stick like accents mark long - double dot, and double stick accents mark [[Vowel harmony#Vowel cleft lipness|'''cleft lip''']] pronunciation (approaching [{{ipa|ɛ}}] sound)''
In practice these long and short vowels sometimes lengthen, or shorten due to agglutinations. Most if not all the time this change is with written difference (meaning that the accent becomes different according)
* {{lang|hu|h'''í'''d}} - {{lang|hu|h'''i'''dak}} - in this case the pronunciation is according to the words are written (long in the first, short in the second word)
It can happen that an exceptional vowel is gaining, or losing an accent regardless of it not being the long, or the short pair of the other
* {{lang|hu|f'''é'''l}} - {{lang|hu|f'''e'''lek}} - in this case the pronunciation is according to the words are written (long in the first, short in the second word), '''yet''' these are '''not''' long, and short pairs
* {{lang|hu|f'''a'''}} - {{lang|hu|f'''á'''k}} - in this case the pronunciation is according to the words are written (short in the first, long in the second word), '''yet''' these are '''not''' short, and long pairs

======Vowel cleft lipness======
There are cleft lip, and non-cleft lip vowel pairs. Cleft lip vowels approach [{{ipa|ɛ}}] sound when pronounced compared to its non-cleft lip vowel pairs. All these letters (or sounds if you will) other than {{lang|hu|e}} [{{ipa|ɛ}}], and {{lang|hu|é}} [{{ipa|e:}}] are marked with double accents ('''both''' double dot, and double sticks)
* For example {{lang|hu|'''ö'''}} [{{ipa|ø}}] is the short cleft lip version, while {{lang|hu|'''ő'''}} [{{ipa|ø:}}] is the long cleft lip version of {{lang|hu|'''o'''}} [{{ipa|o}}]
Words with such sounds are [[Vowel harmony#Agglutination vowel constraints|often]] agglutinated using cleft lip vowels also
# {{lang|hu|okos}} + '''kd''' = {{lang|hu|ok<u>o</u>sk<u>o</u>d<u>ó</u>}} (he or she is playing smart)
#* '''Non-cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''non-cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
# {{lang|hu|hős}} + '''kd''' = {{lang|hu|h<u>ő</u>sk<u>ö</u>d<u>ő</u>}} (he or she is playing hero)
#* '''Cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
# {{lang|hu|daru}} + '''z''' = {{lang|hu|dar<u>u</u>z<u>ó</u>}} (he or she is operating a crane often)
#* '''Non-cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''non-cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
# {{lang|hu|hegedű}} + '''z''' = {{lang|hu|heged<u>ű</u>z<u>ő</u>}} (he or she is playing on a violin often)
#* '''Cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
Naturally since {{lang|hu|e}} [{{ipa|ɛ}}], and {{lang|hu|é}} [{{ipa|e:}}] are also cleft lip (by definition, not by accent on letter) with these as the last vowel of a word the following examples are also valid
# {{lang|hu|foc<u>i</u>}} + '''z''' = {{lang|hu|foc<u>i</u>z<u>ó</u>}} (he or she playing football often)
#* '''Non-cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''non-cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
# {{lang|hu|tév<u>é</u>}} + '''z''' = {{lang|hu|tév<u>é</u>z<u>ő</u>}} (he or she is watching tv often)
#* '''Cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
# {{lang|hu|l<u>ó</u>}} + '''vgl''' = {{lang|hu|lov<u>a</u>gl<u>ó</u>}} (he or she is riding a horse)
#* '''Non-cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''non-cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
# {{lang|hu|tev<u>e</u>}} + '''vgl''' = {{lang|hu|tev<u>e</u>g<u>e</u>l<u>ő</u>}} (he or she is riding a camel)
#* '''Cleft lip''' vowel of root word to '''cleft lip''' vowel in agglutination
* ''Note that "vgl" is '''not''' considered an agglutination, but in the camel's case it is used as one. "To ride" means {{lang|hu|lovagol}}, in which "o", and "l" are supposed to switch places. {{lang|hu|Lovag}} means knight, and "to ride a horse" is "to pretend to be a knight" rather in Hungarian language, but in the word for camel there is a "v", and it is very in a convenient place there. The word for knight is maybe related to the word for horse in Hungarian language''
* ''Note that all these examples here are adjectives, and not very translatable''

=====Behaviour of neutral vowels=====
''Unrounded front vowels'' (or ''Intermediate'' or ''neutral'' vowels) can occur together with either ''back vowels'' (e.g. {{lang|hu|r'''é'''p'''a'''}} carrot, {{lang|hu|k'''o'''cs'''i'''}} car) or ''rounded front vowels'' (e.g. {{lang|hu|tető}}, {{lang|hu|tündér}}), but ''rounded front vowels'' and ''back vowels'' can occur together only in words of foreign origins (e.g. {{lang|hu|sofőr}} = chauffeur, French word for driver). The basic rule is that words including at least one back vowel take back vowel suffixes (e.g. {{lang|hu|répában}} in a carrot, {{lang|hu|kocsiban}} in a car), while words excluding back vowels usually take front vowel suffixes (except for words including only the vowels {{lang|hu|i}}, {{lang|hu|í}}, and {{lang|hu|é}}, for which there is no general rule, e.g. {{lang|hu|lisztet}} against {{lang|hu|hidat}}, or {{lang|hu|céloz}} against {{lang|hu|rémes}}).

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col" colspan="2"|
!scope="col"| open
!scope="col"| middle
!scope="col"| closed
|-
!colspan="2" scope="row"| Back {{nobold|("low")}}
| a á || o ó || u ú
|-
!rowspan="2" scope="row"| Front {{nobold|("high")}}
! unrounded {{nobold|(neutral)}}
| &nbsp; || e é || i í
|-
! rounded
| &nbsp; || ö ő || ü ű
|-
|}

Some other rules and guidelines to consider:
* Compound words get suffix according to the last word, e.g.: {{lang|hu|ártér}} (floodplain) compound of {{lang|hu|ár}} + {{lang|hu|tér}} front vowel suffix just as the word {{lang|hu|tér}} when stands alone ({{lang|hu|téren}}, {{lang|hu|ártéren}})
* In case of words of obvious foreign origins: only the last vowel counts (if it is not {{lang|hu|i}} or {{lang|hu|í}}): {{lang|hu|sof'''ő'''rh'''ö'''z}}, {{lang|hu|nü'''a'''nszsz'''a'''l}}, {{lang|hu|gener'''á'''l'''á'''s}}, {{lang|hu|októb'''e'''rb'''e'''n}}, {{lang|hu|parlam'''e'''ntb'''e'''n}}, {{lang|hu|szoftv'''e'''rr'''e'''l}}
** If the last vowel of the foreign word is {{lang|hu|i}} or {{lang|hu|í}}, then the last but one vowel will be taken into consideration, e.g. {{lang|hu|p'''a'''pírh'''o'''z}}, {{lang|hu|R'''a'''shidd'''a'''l}}. If the foreign word includes only the vowels {{lang|hu|i}} or {{lang|hu|í}} then it gets front vowel suffix, e.g.: {{lang|hu|Mitch-nek}} ( = "for Mitch")
** There are some non-Hungarian geographical names that have no vowels at all (e.g. the Croatian island of {{lang|hu|Krk}}), in which case as the word does not include back vowel, it gets front vowel suffix (e.g. {{lang|hu|Krk-re}} = to Krk)
* For acronyms: the last vowel counts (just as in case of foreign words), e.g.: {{lang|hu|HR}} (pronounced: {{lang|hu|há-er}}) gets front vowel suffix as the last pronounced vowel is front vowel ({{lang|hu|HR-rel}} = with HR)
* Some 1-syllable Hungarian words with '''i''', '''í''' or '''é''' are strictly using front suffixes ({{lang|hu|g'''é'''pr'''e'''}}, {{lang|hu|m'''é'''lyr'''ő'''l}}, {{lang|hu|v'''í'''z}} > {{lang|hu|v'''i'''z'''e'''t}}, {{lang|hu|h'''í'''r'''e'''k}}), while some others can take back suffixes only ({{lang|hu|h'''é'''j'''a'''k, sz'''í'''jr'''ó'''l}}, {{lang|hu|ny'''í'''l}} > {{lang|hu|ny'''i'''l'''a'''t}}, {{lang|hu|zs'''í'''rb'''a'''n}}, {{lang|hu|'''í'''r'''á'''s}})
* Some foreign words that have fit to the Hungarian language and start with back vowel and end with front vowel can take either front or back suffixes (so can be optionally considered foreign word or Hungarian word): {{lang|hu|f'''a'''rmerb'''a'''n}} or {{lang|hu|farm'''e'''rb'''e'''n}}
<!-- Source in Hungarian: http://www.mancs.hu/index.php?gcPage=/public/hirek/hir.php&id=12241 -->

=====Suffixes with multiple forms=====
Grammatical suffixes in Hungarian can have one, two, three, or four forms:
* ''one form'': every word gets the same suffix regardless of the included vowels (e.g. {{lang|hu|-kor}})
* ''two forms'' (most common): words get either back vowel or front vowel suffix (as mentioned above) (e.g. {{lang|hu|-ban/-ben}})
* ''three forms'': there is one back vowel form and two front vowel forms; one for words whose last vowel is rounded front vowel and one for words whose last vowel is not rounded front vowel (e.g. {{lang|hu|-hoz/-hez/-höz}})
* ''four forms'': there are two back vowel forms and two front vowel forms (e.g. {{lang|hu|-ot/-at/-et/-öt}} or simply {{lang|hu|-t}}, if the last sound is a vowel)
An example on basic numerals:

{| class="wikitable" style="padding:0; spacing:0; margin:0"
|-
!colspan="3" scope="row"|
! scope="col" | {{lang|hu|-kor}} {{nobold|(''at'',&nbsp;for&nbsp;time)}}
! scope="col" | {{lang|hu|-ban/-ben}} {{nobold|(''in'')}}
! scope="col" | {{nowrap|{{lang|hu|-hoz/-hez/-höz}}}} {{nobold|(''to'')}}
! scope="col" | {{nowrap|{{lang|hu|-t/-ot/-at/-et/-öt}}}} {{nobold|(accusative)}}
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" | Back
!<small>{{nobold|(regular stem)}}</small>
|h'''a'''t&nbsp;(6)
| rowspan="4" |{{lang|hu|hat'''kor'''<br>nyolc'''kor'''<br>három'''kor'''<br>–<br>egy'''kor'''<br>négy'''kor'''<br>kilenc'''kor'''<br>tíz'''kor'''<br>öt'''kor'''<br>kettő'''kor'''}}
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|hu|hat'''ban'''<br>nyolc'''ban'''<br>három'''ban'''<br>száz'''ban'''}}
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|hu|hat'''hoz'''<br>nyolc'''hoz'''<br>három'''hoz'''<br>száz'''hoz'''}}
|hat'''ot'''
|-
!<small>{{nobold|(low-vowel stem)}}</small>
| {{lang|hu|ny'''o'''lc}}&nbsp;(8)<br>{{lang|hu|h'''á'''r'''o'''m}}&nbsp;(3)<br>{{lang|hu|sz'''á'''z}}&nbsp;(100)
|{{lang|hu|nyolc'''at'''<br>hárm'''at'''<br>száz'''at'''}}
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" | Front
! scope="row" | unrounded {{nobold|(neutral)}}
| {{lang|hu|'''e'''gy}}&nbsp;(1)<br>{{lang|hu|n'''é'''gy}}&nbsp;(4)<br>{{lang|hu|k'''i'''l'''e'''nc}}&nbsp;(9)<br>{{lang|hu|t'''í'''z}}&nbsp;(10)
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|hu|egy'''ben'''<br>négy'''ben'''<br>kilenc'''ben'''<br>tíz'''ben'''<br>öt'''ben'''<br>kettő'''ben'''}}
| {{lang|hu|egy'''hez'''<br>négy'''hez'''<br>kilenc'''hez'''<br>tíz'''hez'''}}
| {{lang|hu|egy'''et''' <br> négy'''et''' <br> kilenc'''et'''<br>tíz'''et'''}}
|-
! scope="row" | rounded
| {{lang|hu|'''ö'''t}}&nbsp;(5)<br>{{lang|hu|kett'''ő'''}}&nbsp;(2)
| {{lang|hu|öt'''höz'''<br>kettő'''höz'''}}
| {{lang|hu|öt'''öt''' <br> kettő'''t'''}}
|}

=====Agglutination vowel constraints=====
Hungarian language is a consonant oriented language that makes vowel harmony possible, but the vowels in agglutinations can not be changed according to free will. Some of such vowels even change the meaning of the word
* For this reason the vowels in agglutinations are constrained seemingly arbitrary
For example it was [[Vowel harmony#Vowel cleft lipness|mentioned]] that the last cleft lip vowel in the root of the word induces an agglutination with also at least one cleft lip vowel in it, however this is not always the case due to certain agglutinations are constrained. One good example is the {{lang|hu|-k'''o'''r}} agglutination that can not take any other vowel, but '''o'''
* {{lang|hu|<u>ö</u>t<u>ö</u>t}} - in accusative case the vowel before '''t''' is '''not as''' constrained
* {{lang|hu|<u>ö</u>tk<u>o</u>r}} - in this case {{lang|hu|o}} vowel is constrained not to be cleft lip
* {{lang|hu|<u>e</u>gyk<u>o</u>r}} - in this case {{lang|hu|o}} vowel is constrained not to be frontal (high), and not to be cleft lip
There are further examples of vowel constraints in agglutinations not only for cleft lip-ness with some agglutination possessing
# only one ({{lang|hu|-k'''o'''r}}, etc...)
# only two ({{lang|hu|-z'''ó'''}} - {{lang|hu|-z'''ő'''}}, {{lang|hu|-'''á'''s}} - {{lang|hu|-'''é'''s}}, {{lang|hu|-v'''a'''l}} - {{lang|hu|-v'''e'''l}}, etc...)
# only three ({{lang|hu|-h'''e'''z}} - {{lang|hu|-h'''ö'''z}} - {{lang|hu|-h'''o'''z}})
# or more forms (accusative case, etc..)
The vowel in these forms are only short, or only long
* Generally speaking an agglutination with a given meaning - or even a given context of meaning'''s''' - may only possess either a long, or a short vowel through out its forms regarding constraints
In the following examples the used vowels in the agglutinations change the meaning
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''zk''' = {{lang|hu|tévéz<u>e</u>k}} - <u>i</u> am watching tv
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''zk''' = {{lang|hu|tévéz<u>i</u>k}} - <u>he</u> is watching tv
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''zk''' = {{lang|hu|tévéz<u>ő</u>k}} - <u>people who are</u> watching tv
As you can see in the last example's agglutination of {{lang|hu|tévé'''z<u>ő</u>k'''}} is with '''long''' vowel. This resulted in a '''noun''', not a '''verb'''. The '''long''' vowel renders meaning completely detached of the other two examples' context. The other two are in a context with only '''short''' vowels, with the rest of their context is the following:
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''zl''' = {{lang|hu|tévéz<u>e</u>l}} - <u>you (singular)</u> are watching tv
#* Agglutination {{lang|hu|-z'''e'''l}} is with '''short''' vowel
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''ztk''' = {{lang|hu|tévézt<u>e</u>k}} - <u>you (plural)</u> are watching tv
#* Agglutination {{lang|hu|-zt'''e'''k}} is with '''short''' vowel
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''znk''' = {{lang|hu|tévéz<u>ü</u>nk}} - <u>we</u> are watching tv
#* Agglutination {{lang|hu|-z'''ü'''nk}} is with '''short''' vowel
# {{lang|hu|tévé}} + '''znk''' = {{lang|hu|tévézn<u>e</u>k}} - <u>they</u> are watching tv
#* Agglutination {{lang|hu|-zn'''e'''k}} is with '''short''' vowel
Likewise using the same agglutination used to {{lang|hu|tévé'''z<u>ő</u>k'''}}, the word {{lang|hu|uta'''z<u>ó</u>k'''}} is also with '''long''' vowel, that is also a '''noun''' against {{lang|hu|uta'''z<u>o</u>k'''}} with a '''short''' vowel that is likewise a '''verb'''

====Mansi====
Vowel harmony occurred in [[Southern Mansi]].

====Khanty====
In the [[Khanty language]], vowel harmony occurs in the Eastern dialects, and affects both inflectional and derivational suffixes. The Vakh-Vasyugan dialect has a particularly extensive system of vowel harmony:<ref>{{cite book|title=Eastern Ostyak chrestomathy|first=János|last=Gulya|year=1966|series=Indiana University Publications, Uralic and Altaic series|volume=51|pages=37–39}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Trigger Vowels
|-
! Front
| {{IPA|/æ/}} || {{IPA|/ø/}} || {{IPA|/y/}} || {{IPA|/i/}} || {{IPA|/ɪ/}} || {{IPA|/ʏ/}} || {{IPA|/e/}} || {{IPA|/œ/}}
|-
! Back
| {{IPA|/ɑ/}} || {{IPA|/o/}} || {{IPA|/u/}} || {{IPA|/ɯ/}} || {{IPA|/ʌ/}} || {{IPA|/ʊ/}} ||  || {{IPA|/ɔ/}}
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Target Vowels
|-
! Front
| {{IPA|/æ/}} || {{IPA|/ø/}} || {{IPA|/y/}} || {{IPA|/i/}} || {{IPA|/ɪ/}} || {{IPA|/ʏ/}}
|-
! Back
| {{IPA|/ɑ/}} || {{IPA|/o/}} || {{IPA|/u/}} || {{IPA|/ɯ/}} || {{IPA|/ʌ/}} || {{IPA|/ʊ/}}
|}

Trigger vowels occur in the first syllable of a word, and control the backness of the entire word. Target vowels are affected by vowel harmony and are arranged in seven front-back pairs of similar height and roundedness, which are assigned the archiphonemes A, O, U, I, Ɪ, Ʊ.

The vowels {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/œ/}} and {{IPA|/ɔ/}} appear only in the first syllable of a word, and are thus strictly trigger vowels. All other vowel qualities may act in both roles.

Vowel harmony is lost in the Northern and Southern dialects, as well as in the Surgut dialect of Eastern Khanty.

====Mari====
Most varieties of the [[Mari language]] have vowel harmony.

====Erzya====
The [[Erzya language]] has a limited system of vowel harmony, involving only two vowel phonemes: {{IPA|/e/}} (front) versus {{IPA|/o/}} (back).

[[Moksha language|Moksha]], the closest relative of Erzya, has no phonemic vowel harmony, though {{IPA|/ə/}} has front and back [[allophone]]s in a distribution similar to the vowel harmony in Erzya.

====Finnic languages====
Vowel harmony is found in most of the [[Finnic languages]]. It has been lost in [[Livonian language|Livonian]] and in Standard [[Estonian language|Estonian]], where the front vowels ''ü'' ''ä'' ''ö'' occur only in the first (stressed) syllable. [[South Estonian language|South Estonian]] [[Võro language|Võro]] (and [[Seto language|Seto]]) language as well as some [North] Estonian dialects, however, retain vowel harmony.

=====Finnish=====
[[File:Finnish vowel harmony Venn diagram.svg|thumb|A diagram illustrating vowel harmony in Finnish.]]
[[File:Finnish vowel harmony.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Finnish vowel harmony and case agreement exemplified by {{lang|fi|mahdollisissa yllättävissä tilanteissa}} ("in possible unexpected situations"): {{lang|fi|mahdollinen}} takes {{lang|fi|-ssa}}, {{lang|fi|yllättävä}} takes {{lang|fi|-ssä}} and {{lang|fi|tilanne}}, with a neutral vowel first but a back vowel second, takes {{lang|fi|-ssa}}.]]

In the [[Finnish language]], there are three classes of vowels{{spaced ndash}}''front'', ''back'', and ''neutral'', where each front vowel has a back vowel pairing. Grammatical endings such as case and derivational endings{{spaced ndash}}but not [[enclitic]]s{{spaced ndash}}have only archiphonemic vowels U, O, A, which are realized as either back {{IPA|[u, o, ɑ]}} or front {{IPA|[y, ø, æ]}} inside a single word. From vowel harmony it follows that the initial syllable of each single (non-compound) word controls the frontness or backness of the entire word. Non-initially, the neutral vowels are transparent to and unaffected by vowel harmony. In the initial syllable:
# a back vowel causes all non-initial syllables to be realized with back (or neutral) vowels, e.g. {{lang|fi|pos+ahta+(t)a}} → {{lang|fi|posahtaa}}
# a front vowel causes all non-initial syllables to be realized with front (or neutral) vowels, e.g. {{lang|fi|räj+ahta+(t)a}} → {{lang|fi|räjähtää}}.
# a neutral vowel acts like a front vowel, but does not control the frontness or backness of the word: if there are back vowels in non-initial syllables, the word acts like it began with back vowels, even if they come from derivational endings, e.g. {{lang|fi|sih+ahta+(t)a}} → {{lang|fi|sihahtaa}} cf. {{lang|fi|sih+ise+(t)a}} → {{lang|fi|sihistä}}.

For example:
* {{lang|fi|kaura}} begins with back vowel → {{lang|fi|kauralla}}
* {{lang|fi|kuori}} begins with back vowel → {{lang|fi|kuorella}}
* {{lang|fi|sieni}} begins without back vowels → {{lang|fi|sienellä}} (not {{lang|fi|*sienella}})
* {{lang|fi|käyrä}} begins without back vowels → {{lang|fi|käyrällä}}
* {{lang|fi|tuote}} begins with back vowels → {{lang|fi|tuotteessa}}
* {{lang|fi|kerä}} begins with a neutral vowel → {{lang|fi|kerällä}}
* {{lang|fi|kera}} begins with a neutral vowel, but has a noninitial back vowel → {{lang|fi|keralla}}

Some dialects that have a sound change opening diphthong codas also permit archiphonemic vowels in the initial syllable. For example, standard 'ie' is reflected as 'ia' or 'iä', controlled by noninitial syllables, in the Tampere dialect, e.g. {{lang|fi|tiä}} ← {{lang|fi|tie}} but {{lang|fi|miakka}} ← {{lang|fi|miekka}}

... as evidenced by {{lang|fi|tuotteessa}} (not {{lang|fi|*tuotteessä}}). Even if [[phonology|phonologically]] front vowels precede the suffix {{lang|fi|-nsa}}, grammatically it is preceded by a word controlled by a back vowel. As shown in the examples, neutral vowels make the system unsymmetrical, as they are front vowels phonologically, but leave the front/back control to any grammatical front or back vowels. There is little or no change in the actual vowel quality of the neutral vowels.

As a consequence, Finnish speakers often have problems with pronouncing foreign words which do not obey vowel harmony. For example, {{lang|fi|olympia}} is often pronounced {{lang|fi|olumpia}}. The position of some loans is unstandardized (e.g. {{lang|fi|chattailla/chättäillä}}) or ill-standardized (e.g. {{lang|fi|polymeeri}}, sometimes pronounced {{lang|fi|polumeeri}}, and {{lang|fi|autoritäärinen}}, which violate vowel harmony). Where a foreign word violates vowel harmony by not using front vowels because it begins with a neutral vowel, then last syllable generally counts, although this rule is irregularly followed.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Ringen | first1 = Catherine O. | last2 = Heinämäki | first2 = Orvokki | title = Variation in Finnish Vowel Harmony: An OT Account | journal = Natural Language & Linguistic Theory | volume = 17 | issue = 2| year = 1999 | pages = 303–337 | doi = 10.1023/A:1006158818498 | s2cid = 169988008 }}</ref> Experiments indicate that e.g. {{lang|fi|miljonääri}} always becomes (front) {{lang|fi|miljonääriä}}, but {{lang|fi|marttyyri}} becomes equally frequently both {{lang|fi|marttyyria}} (back) and {{lang|fi|marttyyriä}} (front), even by the same speaker.

With respect to vowel harmony, compound words can be considered separate words. For example, {{lang|fi|syyskuu}} ("autumn month" i.e. September) has both ''u'' and ''y'', but it consists of two words {{lang|fi|syys}} and {{lang|fi|kuu}}, and declines {{lang|fi|syys·kuu·ta}} (not {{lang|fi|*syyskuutä}}). The same goes for enclitics, e.g. {{lang|fi|taaksepäin}} "backwards" consists of the word {{lang|fi|taakse}} "to back" and {{lang|fi|-päin}} "-wards", which gives e.g. {{lang|fi|taaksepäinkään}} (not {{lang|fi|*taaksepäinkaan}} or {{lang|fi|*taaksepainkaan}}). If fusion takes place, the vowel is harmonized by some speakers, e.g. {{lang|fi|tälläinen}} pro {{lang|fi|tällainen}} ← {{lang|fi|tämän lainen}}.

Some Finnish words whose stems contain only neutral vowels exhibit an alternating pattern in terms of vowel harmony when inflected or forming new words through derivation. Examples include {{lang|fi|meri}} "sea", {{lang|fi|meressä}} "in the sea" ([[inessive]]), but {{lang|fi|merta}} ([[partitive]]), not {{lang|fi|*mertä}}; {{lang|fi|veri}} "blood", {{lang|fi|verestä}} "from the blood" ([[elative case|elative]]), but {{lang|fi|verta}} (partitive), not {{lang|fi|*vertä}}; {{lang|fi|pelätä}} "to be afraid", but {{lang|fi|pelko}} "fear", not {{lang|fi|*pelkö}}; {{lang|fi|kipu}} "pain", but {{lang|fi|kipeä}} "sore", not {{lang|fi|*kipea}}.

[[Helsinki slang]] has slang words that have roots violating vowel harmony, e.g. {{lang|fi|Sörkka}}. This can be interpreted as Swedish influence.

=====Veps=====

The [[Veps language]] has partially lost vowel harmony.