As noted by Laurent Sagart (2011)[5] and others,[6][7][8] Waxiang appears to share some words with the Caijia language of western Guizhou.

[9] Qu & Tang (2017) show that Waxiang and Miao (Qo Xiong) have had little mutual influence on each other.

[10] Waxianghua is found in Luxi, Guzhang and Yongshun counties in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Zhangjiajie prefecture-level city (in Dayong 大庸 ), and Chenxi, Xupu and Yuanling counties in Huaihua prefecture-level city.

Neighboring languages include Southwestern Mandarin, Xiang Chinese, Tujia, Qo Xiong, and Hm Nai.

Liubaohua 六保话 , a dialect closely related to Waxianghua, is spoken in several villages in southeastern Guzhang County (including in Shaojitian Village 筲箕田村, Shanzao Township 山枣乡 ) and parts of Luxi County.