Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ask for

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.33 in modern English

Syllables: ask -for
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To request; to order.

verb

To increase the likelihood of something undesirable by persisting in some action; to invite.

Example Sentences

"I asked for a glass of water."
"Services during Yom Kippur are held continuously through the day and include readings from the Torah and the reciting of prayers expressing regret or asking for forgiveness."
"If you keep on speeding, you are asking for trouble."

Inflected Forms

asks for (present, singular) asking for (participle, present) asked for (participle, past) asked for (past)

Phrases

ask for the moon ask for seconds

Frequently Paired Words

beg

Synonyms

request bespeak call for quest invite

Questions

What does ask for mean?: To request; to order.

How to pronounce ask for

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ask for”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ask for”.
Repeat and practice — Say “ask for” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.