Sometimes our education gets in the way of our voice, and we strew our sentences with fancy, multi-syllabic words that sound important but usually don't deliver. Because short words are better than long words. Short words are usually of Anglo-Saxon origin and are punchier than those of French or Latin origin. Now if your detective character is interrogating a suspect in a murder investigation, that's probably the best word for that sentence. But for most purposes, ask will do.
Short words are close to our hearts and easily understood.
Casey, the child in my life, is 18 months old and says 'ho-ho' as shorthand for Santa Claus, snow and anything that has to do with Christmas. But of course we aren't children and want our writing to impress, so often we abandon short words and instead choose their longer, more formal cousins. It's a mistake. The truth is, simple equals power. The best writing makes complex subjects clear, easily understood.