AbstractThis paper presents a dynamic analysis of a contact system subjected to an applied normal vibration. The tangential motion of the system is found to exhibit stick‐slip behaviour dependent on the applied vibration, even in the absence of a difference in static and kinetic friction or a negative gradient in the friction‐velocity relation. The analysis leads to the development of a criterion for stick‐slip in the form of an equation defined in terms of the system and input parameters. This criterion is also presented graphically and is assessed through a series of experiments. The analysis and measurements show that stick‐slip occurs for a significantly wider drive velocity range when the normal vibration applied is near the natural frequency of the drive system. In addition, when stick‐slip occurs in the presence of a normal vibration, the frequency of stick‐slip is found to lock in to the frequency of the applie