The Komo-Bira languages are part of the Bantu languages, coded Zone D.20 to D.30 in Guthrie's classification, specifically D.21, D.22, D.23, D.31 and D.32. According to a 2003 study by Nurse and Philippson they form a valid node, while the rest of Guthrie's D.20 languages belong instead to the separate Lega-Holoholo languages and the rest of the D.30 languages are unrelated to each other apart from a closely related Budu-Ndaka group. The Komo-Bira languages comprise Komo (D.23) and the Biran group, also called Bira-Amba, consisting of Amba (also called Kwamba), Bhele (also called Piri), Bila (also called Kango or Sua), Bera (also called Bira) and Kaiku, along with Bali (D.21) and the possibly related Beeke. Nurse and Philippson further report that the Bati-Angba languages may belong to the same group under a broader proposal called Boan; within that Boan proposal, Komo and Bali are its most divergent members and Bati-Angba is not a distinct branch, making Boan technically a synonym for Komo-Bira.
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