The Garo language has been classified in the Bodo group of the Tibeto-Burman branch of the great Sino-Tibetan family of languages.
Thus the nearest linguistic kins of the Garo are the Boro, the Dimasa, the Moran, the Lalung, etc.
Among the distant linguistic kins in the same family there are such great languages as Chinese, Burmese and Tibetan.
Garo language has several dialects. Of these Atong and Ruga language are unintelligible to the speakers of other dialects, while the other dialects are mutually intelligible. The standard Garo languages used for literary purposes is based on the Awe dialect. The standard Garo language is written in the Roman script and has developed a simple literature. Garo language has been recognized by the University of Gauhati as a minor vernacular up to the graduation level.