# ask

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɑːsk/ · frequency rank #453

## Definitions
1. To request or petition.
2. To request or petition.
3. To request or petition.
4. To request or petition.
5. To request or petition.
6. To put forward (a question) to be answered.
7. To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.
8. To invite.
9. To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
10. To take (a person's situation) as an example.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eys-
Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti
Proto-Indo-European *h₂is-sḱé-ti
Proto-Germanic *iskaną
Proto-Germanic *aiskaz
Proto-West Germanic *aisk
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti
Proto-Germanic *-ōną
Proto-West Germanic *-ōn
Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn
Old English āscian
Middle English asken
English ask
From Middle English asken, axen, from Old English āscian, from Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eys- (“to wish; request”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian aaskje (“to ask, demand, require”), West Frisian easkje (“to ask, demand, require”), Dutch eisen (“to demand, require”), German heischen (“to ask, request, implore”), Russian иска́ть (iskátʹ), Sanskrit इच्छति (iccháti) (whence Hindi ईछना (īchnā).

## Easily confused with
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-at)
- **aw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-aw)
- **AU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-au)
- **AZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-az)
- **av** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-av)
- **ay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-ay)
- **ax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-ax)
- **ass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-ass)
- **ate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-ate)
- **ave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-ave)
- **aye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-aye)
- **ATM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-atm)
- **awe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-awe)
- **axe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-axe)
- **aww** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-aww)
- **ATP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-atp)
- **Ava** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-ava)
- **aux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-aux)
- **att** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-att)
- **Avi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ask-vs-avi)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ask