Nine closely related Niger-Congo languages, all of which are members of the Ijoid branch of the Niger-Congo family, are spoken by the Izon people. The main difference between the Ijaw languages is that between Eastern Ijo and Western Ijo, with Izon, which is spoken by around five million people, being the most significant of the former group of languages.

The Izon language can be divided into two major categories. The Tuomo Clan, Egbema, Ekeremor, Sagbama (Mein), Bassan, Apoi, Arogbo, Boma (Bumo), Kabo (Kabuowei), Ogboin, Tarakiri, and Kolokuma-Opokuma make up the first group, which is referred to as Western or Central Izon (Ijaw). Southeast Ijo is represented by the dialects Nembe, Brass, and Akassa (Akaha) (Izon). Inland Ijo dialects include Buseni and Okordia.
 

Also, in Guyana, a now-extinct Berbice Creole Dutch dialect that was once widely spoken was found to have some Ijo lexicon and grammar. It appears that Eastern Ijo, most likely Kalabari, is its closest relative.

The lifestyle of the Ijaw people ranges from their cultural activities, foods, trades and their marriage setting. They produce some farm products such as plantain, cassava, yam, cocoyams, banana, vegetables and paddy rice. The Ijaw people also rely on trading and the production of tropical fruits including guava, mangoes, and pineapples. 

They are known for producing smoked and dried fish, wood, palm oil, and palm kernels, which are usually prepared for export. While some clans, particularly in the east, including the Akassa, Bille, Kalabari, Okrika, Andoni, and Bonny, had strong kings and tiered societies. This is because other clans did not have any centralized confederacies prior to the British invasion. However, due to the neighbouring Kingdom of Benin’s influence, there were chiefs and village governments in some settlements, even in the western Niger Delta.

In the same vein, the payment of a bridal dowry of the Ijaw people, which grows in size if the bride is from another village (to make up for the village’s loss of her offspring), is required to consummate marriages. Also, funeral services are frequently quite theatrical, especially for individuals who have amassed riches and prestige. History also has it that the traditional religious rituals revolve around paying respect to ancestors and the “Water spirits” of the Niger River.