Yaren Itsekiri babban reshe ne na rukunin yarukan Yoruboid, wanda a ƙungiya ce, yana daya daga cikin muhimman asalin yarukan Volta – Niger daga dangin yarukan Afirka shiyyar Nijar-Kongo. Kusan mutane 900,000 ke magana da Itsekiri a Najeriya a matsayin harshensu na farko da wasu da yawa a matsayin harshe na biyu musamman a yankin Niger Delta da kuma wasu sassan jihohin Edo da Ondo na Najeriya. Sauran manyan membobin ƙungiyar Yoruboid sun hada daYarbawa (miliyan 22) da Igala (miliyan 1.8) tare da sauran harsunan Yarbanci da magana dasu a Benin da Togo. Itsekiri yana da kusanci sosai da yarukan Yarbawa na kudu maso yammacin Najeriya wanda yake da kusancin su a nahawu, lafazi da tsarin tsara su. Itsekiri na wakiltar ƙarshen ƙarshen ci gaban yarukan Yarbawa daga ƙasashen Yarabawan arewa na Oyo da Offa zuwa yamma na yankin Neja-Delta. Ta hanyoyi da yawa daidaitattun Yarbanci da Itsekiri ana iya ɗaukar su a matsayin nau'ikan hukuma masu yare iri ɗaya. Kodayake yarukan Itsekiri da Yarbancin Kudu maso Gabas suna fahimtar juna zuwa matakan daban-daban dangane da kusancin juna, amma, ba kamar masu jin yarukan Yarbanci ba, masu magana da yaren Itsekiri ba su yarda ko amfani da daidaitaccen harshen Yarbanci a matsayin babban harshensu na hukuma ba.