The pronunciation of “ask” as “aks” is a linguistic function present in African American Vernacular English (AAVE). This phonetic variation includes metathesis, a transposition of sounds inside a phrase. On this occasion, the ‘s’ and ‘okay’ sounds are switched. Whereas typically stigmatized, this pronunciation has deep historic roots.
The presence of this phonetic function shouldn’t be indicative of an absence of intelligence or schooling. As an alternative, it displays the advanced and evolving nature of language, highlighting how dialects protect linguistic patterns from numerous sources. Analysis means that the metathesis discovered on this pronunciation could have origins tracing again to Outdated English and West African languages. Moreover, linguistic options like this function markers of identification and cultural connection inside a particular neighborhood.