Awhile vs. A While
You wouldn’t think a simple space could wreak so much goddamned havoc on your confidence as a writer. But there it is—staring at you, mocking you, making you question how the hell you ever passed a single English class. Is that a typo? Why are there two words? Aren’t they the same thing? What the hell is the difference?
First, stop yelling at me; I don’t respond well to conflict. And to answer your questions from above: that depends, because, no, and let me tell you.
What’s the difference?
Awhile is an adverb that means “for a while” or, more specifically, “for a period of time.”
A while is a noun phrase with a wider range of meanings including: “a period of time,” “a long time,” and “some time.”
So, there you go. Clear as mud. Let’s get the fuck out of here, yeah? Wait. I’m sensing a furrowed brow on the other end of the screen. Ugh, fine. Let’s break that shit down.
When to use awhile
As an adverb, awhile is used to modify or qualify an adjective, verb, or phrase. This means it has a very specific purpose and use. It will almost always follow the verb in your sentence to specify that the action will last for a vague amount of time.
Awhile should be used when the amount of time is merely extra information in your sentence, rather than a key element or even the entire focus. If you can replace awhile with another adverb that ends in -ly, or remove awhile from your sentence completely, you get a gold star. Good job, kiddo. Proud of you.
Examples:
I think I’ll sit awhile and let anxiety slowly sap the will to function from my body.
The sudden realization that I’ve been single for over half my life is going to sting awhile.
Now re-read both of those examples and take awhile out. See how the sentences don’t lose clarity or meaning?
When to use a while
A while is a noun phrase that can serve as either the subject or object of the sentence. Having the article “a” at the beginning, followed by a space lets you know that you’re dealing with a noun because articles always precede a noun.
A while should be used when the amount of time plays an important role in the sentence. If you can replace a while with another article and a noun that references time (a minute, a few days, an eternity, etc.), you’re fucking crushing it. If removing a while from the sentence changes the clarity or meaning, or makes it an unreadable trash heap, you know you’re using the correct version.
Examples:
After clearly demonstrating how the Great Human Extinction is just around the corner, it will be a while before they ask me to speak at the middle school again.
The man told me we’d be home in a little while but that was three days ago and—oh shit, I think I got kidnapped again.
Now that we’ve spent a while looking at the differences and understanding the uses of awhile and a while, I should point out that the grammar gatekeepers of the world are slowly softening their stance on whether or not the two terms can be used interchangeably without concern for grammatical accuracy. And I kind of agree. They look alike, sound alike, and damn-near mean the exact same thing, so why continue making shit more confusing than it needs to be? That being said, don’t use this as a justification for laziness. If either awhile or a while are ever stricken from the record, we’ll all adjust accordingly. Until then, make the effort.
Anyway. Thanks for reading. Plop your questions in the comments below. Toodles!