# It is not 'ax' its 'ask' **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931 "2004-07-13T18:10:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cdnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@cdnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdnguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/1 "2004-07-13T18:10:40Z")
I really hate it when people say ‘ax’ rather then ‘ask’. Is it really that hard to pronounce the sk? It bothers me to no end when people who don’t have an excuse, such as english not being their first language, butcher english. Anybody else have a pet peeve concerning particular instances of english language butchering? ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/2 "2004-07-13T18:15:13Z")
My pet peeve is with people who criticize others for how they pronounce certain words just to stir up some shit. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/3 "2004-07-13T18:15:58Z")
Fuck off. No one axed you. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/4 "2004-07-13T18:20:39Z")
Might work in the year 3k. (not too obscure pop culture reference) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/5 "2004-07-13T18:26:14Z")
> [@cdnguy](#): > > I really hate it when people say ‘ax’ rather then ‘ask’. Is it really that hard to pronounce the sk? It bothers me to no end when people who don’t have an excuse, such as english not being their first language, butcher english. Whether or not saying “ax” for “ask” is butchering the language depends on where you are [from](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19991216). Actually “ask” is difficult word for many to say. From [http://www.grammarerrors.com/pronunciation.html](http://www.grammarerrors.com/pronunciation.html) > [@](#): > > This error is linked to particular dialects of English. For some individuals, the word ask poses a problem. You may have heard sentences such as, “May I ax you a question?” Of course, the speaker intends to say ask, but the s and k sounds are transposed so that it sounds like ax, as in the tool used to chop wood. For those who have difficulty pronouncing this word, just remember that the s comes before the k, not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/6 "2004-07-13T18:29:10Z")
Would anyone who defends “ax” for “ask” while attacking “nucyular” for “nuclear” please spontaneously combust? Thank you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/7 "2004-07-13T18:31:32Z")
It’s not “its” it’s “it’s”. . . . and, yeah, that “ax” things makes me a little nuts, too. ---
**Author:** ![cdnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@cdnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdnguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/8 "2004-07-13T18:34:44Z")
**Kevja** wow thanks for the enlightening comment. I love it when people presume to know why I post things. You are obviuosly an asshole, so fuck off. **Monstro** , thanks for the links. They were interesting, particularly the first one. The second one, not so much. Just because people have a problem pronouncing things doesn’t mean it will piss me off less. Since there doesn’t seem to be a medical reason for this, I’ll still chalk it down to a lack of education, and probably, a lack of intelligence. It really isn’t a difficult word. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/9 "2004-07-13T18:35:03Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > Might work in the year 3k. > > (not too obscure pop culture reference) It was the first thing that came into my mind as well. And I usually think about it at x-mas time. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/10 "2004-07-13T18:35:27Z")
And while we’re at it, it’s not _It’s not “its” it’s “it’s”._; it’s _It’s not “its”; it’s “it’s.”_ ---
**Author:** ![scule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@scule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scule)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/11 "2004-07-13T18:37:25Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > Might work in the year 3k. > > (not too obscure pop culture reference) Not too obscure at all, Fry. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/12 "2004-07-13T18:42:33Z")
> [@cdnguy](#): > > Since there doesn’t seem to be a medical reason for this, I’ll still chalk it down to a lack of education, and probably, a lack of intelligence. It really isn’t a difficult word. I don’t know if you can assume anything about either the education or intelligence of someone who pronounces it “ax”, any more than you can assume anything about the education or intelligence of someone who uses the word “pop” instead of “soda”. It’s just a pronunciation that some dialects have. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/13 "2004-07-13T18:49:10Z")
To the OP: never visit Pittsburgh. (Or should I say, “Pixburgh?”) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/14 "2004-07-13T18:56:43Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > And while we’re at it, it’s not _It’s not “its” it’s “it’s”._; it’s _It’s not “its”; it’s “it’s.”_ I prostrate myself at the feet of the master. I’m not worthy. . . I’m not worthy . . . ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/15 "2004-07-13T18:57:53Z")
> [@](#): > > It really isn’t a difficult word. Not for you, but obviously for others it is. Do you think people say “ax” for the heck of it? So many people, “ax” rolls off the tongue easier than “ask”. I actually have to concentrate when I say “ask”. Once, I was talking to someone and I found myself saying “ask” and “asked” a lot, and I really was having a hard time not confusing the two. In my brain, they sound very similar. I was glad when the conversation was over, that’s how taxed I was. I have difficulty saying a lot of words “correctly” due to my Southern accent. It took moving up North for me to notice that I say “heel” instead of “hill” and “peel” instead of “pill”. Even after knowing that “ill” is a different sound than “eel”, I still have a very difficult time saying “ill” words “correctly”. I don’t have a speech impediment, even though I did spend a year in elementary school in a speech class due to language issues. You have the right to be pissed, I suppose. But it’s not as easy as saying someone is being lazy for saying a word the way they do. There are these things called accents and dialects that we must tolerate in a vibrant society like ours. No one really speaks standard English except for news reporters. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/16 "2004-07-13T18:59:36Z")
Urgh when I hear someone start to say “I axed him…” I want to smack them. It completely distracts me, because I suddenly imagine them with an axe going around chopping at people like they are wood. Then I have to catch up on the thread of the conversation again. Thank goodness I haven’t encountered it here, just on TV. In kids it’s cute, in adults it’s irritating. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/17 "2004-07-13T18:59:52Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I was glad when the conversation was over, that’s how taxed I was. You know that should be “that’s how tasked I was”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/18 "2004-07-13T19:24:01Z")
Well, it’s not “‘its’ it’s ‘it’s’.;” nor is it “it’s ‘it’s’ not ‘its’; it’s ‘it’s.’” It’s actually “it’s not ‘its,’ it’s ‘it’s.’” The difference being a comma vs. a semi-colon. Got it? If you don’t, feel free to ax me. ---
**Author:** ![cdnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@cdnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdnguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/19 "2004-07-13T19:51:33Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > I don’t know if you can assume anything about either the education or intelligence of someone who pronounces it “ax”, any more than you can assume anything about the education or intelligence of someone who uses the word “pop” instead of “soda”. It’s just a pronunciation that some dialects have. Well I’m pretty damn sure there is a huge difference between ‘ax’ and ‘ask’ and ‘pop’ and ‘soda’. For one, pop is not an incorrect pronunciation of soda. In fact it is just a different word to describe the same product. Ax is not another way to pose an inquiry. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931/20 "2004-07-13T19:55:20Z")
It’s not nucular, its nuclear… It’s not fith, it’s fifth It’s not…It’s not…It’s not [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-not-ax-its-ask/254931.md?page=2)