次方言是方言底下的分支，如闽南语底下分成泉漳片、潮汕片等次方言，粤语底下分成广府片、莞宝片、四邑片等次方言，而次方言底下又可以分成若干小片，如闽台片下分成漳州话、泉州话、厦门话以及台湾话。

A subdialect is a subdivision of dialect. Subdialects can be divided further, ultimately down to idiolects.

Normally subdialects of one dialect are quite close to each other, differing mainly in pronunciation and certain local words.

In some languages there is a special word for such a small variety of language, ex. Russian:говор govor, Romanian:grai, Polish:gwara or possibly German:Mundart.