ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə pɹəfˈɛsɚ hɪɹˈoʊkoʊ ˈaɪkdəz ˈɪndɛks ʌv dʒˌæpənˈiːz fˈoʊkteɪlz, ðə tˈeɪl ɪz klˈæsᵻfˌaɪd æz tˈaɪp fˈoːɹhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi dˈiː, "ðə tˈʌŋkˈʌt spˈæɹoʊ" ɔːɹ ʃˈiːɾəkˈiəɹi sˈuːzjuːm.
According to professor Hiroko Ikeda's Index of Japanese Folktales, the tale is classified as type 480D, "The Tongue-Cut Sparrow" or Shita-kiri Suzume.