Why can't black people pronounce the word "ask"?

My rant on the fact that too many black people incorrectly pronounce this word. I want to put an end to this habit once and for all.
I also made a video response to address some comments that were made on this initial video.

[@entityk14]

I'm black and I agree with you. I hear so many black people on talk shows and court shows saying ax. It sounds ignorant.

[@framebyframegames]

Will you please tackle LIBARY vs. LIBRARY?

[@lavielemond]

I love this lady!! Intelligent, funny & articulate...nice one!

[@fblairmd66]

mattforrester1973 Thanks!

[@SoulDaddy33]

Hopefully you do one on "birfday", too.

[@fblairmd66]

Lol! And let's not forget 'bid-niz' for business.

[@knivesy]

I like your passion for the correct usage of the english language.

[@pynchme]

Great video. Good work. This has puzzled and irritated me for years too.

[@fblairmd66]

Thanks!

[@carpetrug01]

When I was getting laid off the man said to me "now let me axe you a question" and in my agitated state it took everything in me to not say "Axe?? excuse me, axe?? Did you mean ASK? Let me ASK you a question first, WHY AM I ABLE TO SPEAK BETTER THAN THE PERSON LAYING ME OFF?!?!?"

[@60tutu]

Kudos to you for upholding higher standards in the correct use of the English language.

[@MrJOHNNYLIGHTNING]

Why would anyone object to this video? This woman is offering the correct pronunciation of the word ASK both in the correct parlance and vernacular. The more well spoken you are,The more credibility you have....And credibility is the name of the game in the great big scary real world. fblairmd66 Is one of the most well spoken people I have ever heard in 52 years of life period. Dead on accurate to the point. Thumbs Up!

[@staxoffunk1863]

YOU GO SISTER! You should also include dis and dat.

[@fblairmd66]

You're right!

[@fblairmd66]

Apparently, you didn't heed the warning I gave at the beginning of the video. Remember? I said that if you were easily offended, or thin-skinned, then you should go watch another more inane video. My intention was not to be rude, but to expose and discuss the problem, and hopefully educate folks who just don't know any better. Sorry you were so offended.

[@cmerighe2]

Subscribed. I like smart people like this lady.

[@fblairmd66]

Thanks!

[@CelticSparrows]

Wonderful video. You are not offensive at all. You are clearly educated, well spoken, and intelligent.

[@fblairmd66]

Thanks!

[@senatus]

Fucking-A! Pardon my profanity, but I can't help but to be pumped by the video. I'm black and a number of my friends have given me flak for pronouncing "ask" correctly. I have a BA in English and one of my professors, Dr. [name protected], was also black. A lot of black people signed up for her classes simply *because* she was black, but Dr. X made it clear: tow the line, or get off the boat. Among her pet peeves was ax/ask b.s. I only wish I could name her ... great woman and instructor!

[@IgnacioChavez]

Awesome. Also, "etcetera", most people say "exetera"

[@Calicat8]

Btw! i just subscribed. You have no idea how much i admire and look up to Black women like you!! All the best! - Calicat

[@cocochanel2118]

I didn't know I was doing that until a friend told me that someone said something to her about that word. now I know better so I must work hard by practicing.

[@fblairmd66]

Well done! I'm so glad you didn't get offended, but instead you made the adjustment. Having that attitude will take you far in life. All the best to you!

[@gazpacho59]

Thank you, thank you, thank you... hearing people say this simple word the wrong way is like hearing fingernails on a blackboard.

[@MyAmberEyes]

Thank you so much!! You have put forward a point of pronunciation that has bothered the heck out of me for years and years!

[@jamieedwards777]

And conversate isn't a word. The word to use is "conversing"...

[@kittyhello377]

Yes, black people often say this, but many white people do the same thing with the word 'asterisk.' It makes me crazy that someone will complain about someone turning the letters 's' and 'k' around, but they do the very same-only with a different word.

[@DeanKuga]

Lovely, wish you could do a video on "nucelar". I've heard even some physicist pronouncing "nuclear" as "nucelar" and my perception of their competence was immediately seriously affected...

[@fblairmd66]

OMG, I can't stand that either!!! Some also say 'nucular'. Also, "jew-lery" for jewelry!

[@MarzJonp]

"Let me aks him"? -guy "Dude, that's a crime". -friend :D

[@Calicat8]

Thank you so much for this vid! I love that you were bold enough to post this despite of the backlash you were certain to receive from our african american counterparts. I haven't read through all the comments but i'm sure you have gotten at least one stupid person accusing you of being "whitewashed", having "self-hatred" or being an"oreo" for being so articulate and shining a light on the disgusting truth. I become so irritated when black people say "axe" i feel like they just disintegrated a couple of my brain cells. Oh and lets not forget their pronunciation of "sto" for store or "skrimp" for shrimp or "ma" for my... Arrghh!!!

[@fblairmd66]

Spacerumsfeld, in my humble opinion, blacks pronounce this word incorrectly as a result of socialization. If your parents and most of your friends pronounce it incorrectly, you probably will too. If that's all you hear, then that's all you know. It's akin to how some folks mistakenly pronounce the word nuclear. Instead, they say what sounds like "nucular ", which quite frankly offends my senses almost as much as ask/ax does. George W. Bush used to say it like that, and I would cringe every ti

[@fblairmd66]

I agree. It is a bit easier. Their environment (that's all they hear) and laziness of the tongue create a perfect storm for the mispronunciation.

[@Snagabott]

Truth needs to be told.

[@thedevo6587]

Somebody finally ASKED the question! lol.

[@QueenButtercup]

Do a video on - th ending; letting black people know that it isn't pronounced -f ... Example: mouf (mouth), monf (month), birf (birth), & baf (bath). Now, this drives me crazy!

[@howardmckenna]

Its not just a US thing either. Its here in the UK too.

[@fblairmd66]

Yes, I know! I was born there!

[@scuba19671]

Thank you thank you thank you!! It is wonderful to hear such an articulate woman like yourself set the record straight!! I wish everyone could speak as well as you!

[@AnthonyDKing64]

You're my hero - please do an especially video it's not Ekspecially.

[@tripl3ogkush]

I'm glad you addressed this issue. It gets on my nerves too. Another word that a lot of people pronounce incorrectly is "regularly". I always hear it pronounced "regur-ly". The "ar" is almost always left out. Reg-u-lar-ly. It is not that hard yet people can't seem to say it. Not just blacks- all people.

[@darasanglap8608]

Not only black people pronounce "ask" as an "ax"... im really bad talking in english but i make sure how it pronounce right. So when i heard someone saying "ask" as an "ax" it really disturbs me... @__@

[@cheddarr29]

Spot on! good job for making this vid!

[@keepersleeker]

Some people say "warsh" the clothes, or "Warshington DC". That drives me up a wall. It's WRONG!

[@fblairmd66]

+Gerard Shaw. Actually, thusly is a word. Check Webster's Dictionary.

[@dvsteady]

Agreed! By the way, an NPR article referenced this video...that's how I got here.

[@sherriteeter1878]

Awesome video! You just expressed what I've been complaining about for years.... and beautifully, too... I might add. Thank you!!

[@oscarcortes734]

For me, what I find annoying is people who mispronounce Ambulance

[@Sennanchie]

Good for you for making this video. I could never understand why so many African Americans pronounced it that way. You are very articulate and intelligent and I doff my hat to you for addressing this in a very direct sort of way. I noticed that Samuel L. Jackson changed his way on it. For example... in the movie "A time to kill" he said "AX" but in the movie "The Negotiator" he said ASK. Awesome actor by the way.

[@brautigan1]

It is particularly annoying, I think, because it's a 3-letter word, as simple as the word "cat."

[@jninfreak]

This pisses me off to no end. THANK YOU.

[@jime6688]

I applaud this video. I understand unique dialects, etc. I have grown up in Arkansas and from a young age, I understood that the rural, southern accent around me was looked down upon by the rest of the country. Whether that's wrong or right, I don't know, but I do not have time in my life to try and change popular thinking of the world, so devoted a lot of my time to trying to learn to speak properly. On top of the dialect around me, I had a natural speech impediment I struggled with, so I had additional reason to study spoken English. Accent still comes out at times when I have traveled the world and USUALLY is looked down on. Curiously, NOT in Peru or Chile as there is a huge mix of ethnicities, especially in Lima. Anyway, it is one of those things that has bugged me(what you're discussing) much as the throwing in of "you know" after every word in a sentence which commonly denotes a white, uneducated person or some variant of a valley girl. Anyway, thank you for your video.

[@colinsphoneemail]

I just Google'd this exact question on why black people say ask like that. I found your video... great video, thank you for your video. I kept thinking about it all day after hearing it multiple times on the Zimmerman trial with witness 8

[@ushtemanushteunchaga]

I'm here from NPR article "Why Chaucer Said 'Ax' Instead of 'Ask'. I had an algebra teacher in Huntsville, Alabama and she always used the term "Ax" as well. She was awesome but that drove me nuts!

[@joooools01]

Thank you, I'm so glad you did this video. So many people are determined to slaughter the English language.

[@bootyclaw]

Thank you for this! This has also infuriated me for the longest time. Just out of interest, do you know how this came to be in the first place?

[@rmk8111]

Excellent!! EVERYONE needs to view this.

[@jdsheets58]

why is "do" used for the word does? He does his chores like a good kid..He do his chores like a good kid...Just sayin'

[@kwikmik]

I have been watching The Peoples Court and have noticed this annoying habit as well. I am glad to know I am not the only person who is TERRIBLY annoyed by this! Another good one is the plurakl for text (texts) all the litigants say "texas", this annoys the crap out of me too!!!

[@hardino0311]

I agree with you (wit chu), haha. Keep them coming!

[@fblairmd66]

Lol!

[@gwgwgwgw1854]

Thank you! I am a fan of language and it transcends race.

[@libernox5376]

This is awesome. Thank you, miss. Thank you.

[@fblairmd66]

You're welcome!

[@33fastcar]

Bravo! One of my pet peaves being 200 miles from Mexico is: For myself, and many others, we get "OUT" of a car. Here, I hear a LOT of people say: I got "OFF" the car. What? Were you riding on top of the car, or in it? I have a different vocabulary to deal with here... I enjoyed your video, thank you!

[@fblairmd66]

LOL!!!

[@andanicechianti]

And to share my own linguistic shortcomings, I have a tough time saying "RURAL" for some reason. Always comes out like "RUUU AL' or "RERRLLL" for some reason lol.

[@AngelAshrider]

I am black and laughing my head off😂

[@tedbrosi8057]

Again thank you so much for posting this video! That has always bothered me as well.

[@fullertonautone]

Just watched your video, LOVE YOU!

[@PC160]

MLK never mispronounced the word. He took education seriously, obviously. Speaking incorrectly makes one seem either uneducated, or unintelligent. One the other hand, I know there's an English professor at Stanford who thinks any and all mispronunciations are proof of the "evolution" of American English. I disagree. Thanks for this video. My current list includes: "sh" instead of "s" ("shtreet"), "cou'ant" instead of "coud nt" and more. More power to you!

[@MN12warbird]

Even back home in the phillipines i automatically have the one-up on more experienced local canidates simply just becuase of my mastery of the english language. In short i believe its just laziness or complacency. The attitude of just "f" it its ok cuz anyone making fun of me is being racist so i can talk however i want.-lol this general attitude is whats keeping young minorites from securing gainful employment, so you are right. Whats more alarming is how many deaf ears this video falls upon.

[@fblairmd66]

Hey Senatus, thanks for the comment. We need more teachers and instructors like that who are not afraid to correct their students. I am glad you had the opportunity to encounter someone who is clearly having an impact on many people.

[@rhubarbwire]

Don't even ax me how I feel about misplaced apostrophy's! Ha

[@LizQuilty]

Thank you for this video! its brilliant, though unsure its related to any one race, i would think more socio-economic. We get it here in New Zealand from Maori and White people alike :)

[@Sicarius_7]

I have never once, in all of my life, in any of my travels heard a white person pronounce the word Ask as Ax. We do a whole lot of our own really stupid shit, probably more than other "races" to be perfectly honest, but that one's not something I've encountered.

[@LizQuilty]

Daniel Panichelli i have, plenty of them, usually ones hanging out with others that say it :D Technically though, saying ax was actually common in history www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/12/03/248515217/why-chaucer-said-ax-instead-of-ask-and-why-some-still-do

[@ChrisSPCs]

Thank you.

[@russellmakar579]

She make's a very good point, what's wrong with using proper enunciation?

[@bookmark8899]

This made me smile

[@jpms4362]

I applaud you!!!

[@melissaminerich]

I love this lady. Thank you so much for your post. I wish ALL people were as articulate as you.

[@danielwinston4132]

LOL, it's not just the Blacks, it is a universal issue. I completely agree, it pisses me off when people mispronounce "ask". It is very amusing though, to see you add -uh to most of your words. "NO! STOP IT! STOP IT-uh!"

[@sunyk]

You are very well spoken. I like your frustrated energy! haha

[@TheLongAndWindingRd]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I'm so glad to have found this video. The ask/ax enunciation issue has bothered me for years. It's not only black people that use ax in place of ask, I've heard both whites & hispanics use the term, however it does appear to be a lot more prevalent among blacks. I definitely think it's environment combined with laziness or just not caring how the word sounds when it's spoken..honestly, it does make seemingly intelligent people sound ignorant or uneducated.

[@jovas14rocks]

I came back to Oregon saying AX. Oh by the way I'm not of african-descent. but when I said AX people starting laughing really hard!!

[@ivanseods655]

Did you ever wonder why Brits and east coast Americans seem to place an R sound on words ending in A? Americer, Chiner, etc.? These are blue blood elites too. Also, what does fugunna mean? I've heard it is an old southern way of saying "I'm fixing" to do something. Samuel Jackson does the best to mock saying "axed" in Django Unchained. He should have won an Academy Award for his performance as Steven. Finally, the great thing about language is that it evolves. It's proper that we should try to pronounce words correctly, yet I've always laughed at myself when I commit a gaff on a word. It's what is said, not how.

[@colinsphoneemail]

I just Google'd this exact question on why black people say ask like that. I found your video... great video, thank you for your video.

[@ReligiousZombie]

Blacks need role models like this chick instead of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, both of whom preach helplessness and hopelessness.

[@fblairmd66]

Actually, I don't think they are choosing to say the word incorrectly. I actually think they just don't know any better. It's sort of in the same way that George Bush would say "nuculer" when he was trying to say "nuclear". People would make fun of him all the time, but he still pronounced it that way, because that's the way he learned to say it. Habits are hard to break.

[@Ilovegrunge123]

Did any of you guys even see the beginning of this video which she states that if you are easily offended stop watching the video. I understand it was used a 1000 years ago but how many things from 1000 years ago do we still do now.

[@mustangohten9985]

Thank you , lol and I agree how simple is it to speak clear english and pronounce your "R" for goodness sake people. Its Car not caw you get my meaning!

[@Rocket9944]

and the word "truth"..

[@rondroogy]

You are awesome! I really enjoyed this video.

[@fblairmd66]

Thanks!

[@FaveORitt]

My guess madam, is that you are an English teacher. You remind me of an English teacher I had in middle school, although she was not nearly as stylish as you are. You would make a great instructor.

[@catherinesheffield3276]

THANK YOU! This has bothered me for a LONG time! I am one of those people who would NOT hire a person if she couldn't pronounce the word properly. It's three letters. It's not difficult.

[@Oliver_Clothesoff]

Thank you so much!

[@jebsmith323]

Thank you!

[@JamesTheVictor]

Another word many African-Americans have trouble with--I've even noticed it with Steve Harvey on TV--is "during". Why is it so hard to say "during"? It's not "doing" as it is most often mispronounced. During rhymes with purring. And I think Steve Harvey is great!

[@MoogNod]

You are a highly intelligent human being, Ms. fblairmd66 -- thank you for posting this.

[@DavidJones-we2ex]

I feel ya sista, I feel ya.

[@carrnil]

Wow, baby you're GORGEOUS. & INTELLIGENT. That's a keeper.

[@fblairmd66]

LOL! Thanks!

[@sobali3]

Totally agree!

[@johnreyes4207]

I like your take on this topic.

[@katelynbarron6354]

This is not necessarily true. You are saying it like as soon as black people are born they automatically will say "aks" instead of "ask". If you are saying that all white people will say ask instead of aks, than a black person raised in a white community will say ask. Language and pronunciation are learned behaviours.

[@Patriciamorgan1952]

Love this video!

[@Opticlogic]

Humans are funny

[@MatthewFoos]

You are too fantastic..... You should start a plural sight class.

[@fblairmd66]

Lol, thanks!

[@wtkwtf]

You are amazing!

[@rickster4u2007]

I love this!

[@dusktilldawn888]

Great article that actually links to your youtube video: Jesse Sheidlower, the president of the American Dialect Society, says "ax" has been used for a thousand years. "It is not a new thing; it is not a mistake," he says. "It is a regular feature of English." Sheidlower says you can trace "ax" back to the eighth century. The pronunciation derives from the Old English verb "acsian." Chaucer used "ax." It's in the first complete English translation of the Bible (the Coverdale Bible): " 'Axe and it shall be given.' "So at that point it wasn't a mark of people who weren't highly educated or people who were in the working class," Stanford University linguist John Rickford says. He says it's hard to pinpoint why "ax" stopped being popular but stayed put in the American South and the Caribbean, where he's originally from. But "over time it became a marker of identity," he says. tinyurl.com/mt2xss7

[@tracykirkland6267]

Great topic ..it bothers me when I hear people from the east coast say uman vs human. They say the H is silent.... really? No it sounds crazy. I wonder do they say ut fot hut ut for nut lmao I think a lot of races and areas have there own hang ups with words

[@seanraidley2643]

Great video, thank you. Yeah...I don't understand the whole "ax" thing either. lol. Is it supposed to be cool? (shrugs)

[@fblairmd66]

It's not. I really believe that it's the way some blacks are socialized. That's how they hear it pronounced, so that's how they pronounce it. It's imperceptible to their ear, so they don't realize they're saying it incorrectly. Once it's pointed out, many make the correction.