Whether it's written "ax" or "ask" doesn't surely stop people pronounce it the way that feels right in their part of the world? All kinds of older versions people think are gone are still very much current, and more often than not people don't even know they say them.

For example the dictionaries would tell you that "chimley" or "hankerchee" are obsolete, but they are said every day - but if you asked (or axed) the people who say to write it down, they'd spell them "chimney" and "handkerchief" (and when was the last time anyone heard someone pronounce "handkerchief" the way it is spelt?)