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Awhile vs. A While 

homophoneswhile
"Awhile" vs. "A While" in the English Grammar

What Is Their Main Difference?

This confusing couple only differs in parts of speech. Interestingly, they have the same meaning. Below, we will discuss them.

Awhile

'Awhile' is an adverb of time and it indicates a particular period of time. It's not very common among native speakers. Look at the following examples:

Example

He decided to rest awhile.

Didn't I tell Mark to read awhile and I'll talk to him later?

A While

'A while' is a noun phrase and it is comprised of an indefinite article and a noun. It also means 'a particular period of time'. However, it is more common among native English speakers and it mainly functions as the object of a preposition. Below, there are useful examples for you:

Example

The nun suggested I take a break for a while.

Josephine and Mark are going to walk by the beach for a while.

Are They Interchangeable?

Since they have the same meaning, we can use them interchangeably. However, make sure to remove the preposition when you are replacing the noun phrase with the adverb. Compare:

Example

✓ Mike thought it best to spend some time alone awhile.

✓ Mike thought it best to spend some time alone for a while.

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