a dialect continuum is a group of language dialects that change over an area. in a dialect continuum, two dialects are more different when they are farther away from each other. people in the dialect continuum who are nearby may understand each other when they speak. people far away from each other may have trouble understanding each other or may not understand each other at all. for example if a certain area speaks in a specific accent, it would be difficult for people from the same region but different area to understand and communicate.