The Kata-vari (comprising Western and Northeastern) and Kamviri (comprising Southeastern) dialects are sometimes erroneously reckoned as two separate languages, but according to linguist Richard Strand they form one language.

[2] The Katë language is the largest Nuristani language, spoken by 40,000–60,000 people, from the Kata, Kom, Mumo, Kshto and some smaller Black-Robed tribes in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It belongs to the Indo-European language family and is in the Nuristani group of the Indo-Iranian branch.

The Northeastern Katë dialect is commonly referred to as Shekhani in Chitral.

In older literature, Southeastern Katë is split into Kamviri and Mumviri.