axe
Ask; a long-lived pronunciation of the word.
Also called aks, ax.
Updated September 21, 2026
axe pronunciation
/aks/
Meaning
Means ask. Common in African American English and parts of the South. It is not a modern mistake. Speakers have swapped the sounds in ask for centuries, and the form shows up in older English writing too.
How folks use it
- “Let me axe you something real quick.”
- “Go axe your daddy if we can borrow the truck.”
Origin and etymology
From Old English ascian / axian, where both sound orders existed. Middle English used axe and ask side by side; Chaucer wrote axe. Later school English preferred ask, while axe stayed strong in several American dialects, including Southern and African American speech.
Frequently asked questions
Is axe just bad English?
No. It is a real historical form of ask that never fully left spoken English.