While burns or trauma to the tongue can cause tongue pain, there are many other possible causes of a painful or burning sensation on the tongue. There are multiple infectious and noninfectious causes of painful lesions to the tongue, including canker sores, viral infections, and fungal infections. Often, lesions caused by the herpes virus or chicken pox virus cause a sensation in the tongue that is similar to a burn. Additionally, some medical conditions like autoimmune diseases or nutritional deficiencies can lead to tongue pain.