Gems of My Crown ~ Awhile vs. A While

This is one of those pairs that doesn’t get talked about enough, but shows up in writing more often than you’d think. Awhile and a while may look nearly identical, but they are not used the same way.

Awhile

The word awhile is an adverb. It means “for a short time” and is used to modify a verb. Because it already includes the idea of time, it does not need a preposition before it.

Example:
Sit and stay awhile.

Another example:
She lingered awhile before leaving.

A While

The phrase a while is a noun phrase. It refers to a period of time and is typically used after a preposition such as for or in.

Example:
Sit and stay for a while.

Another example:
It’s been a while since we last spoke.

The Difference

The easiest way to remember the difference is this:

If you can remove the word for and the sentence still makes sense, use awhile.
If the sentence needs for to sound complete, use a while.

These two may look alike, but their usage depends on sentence structure, and they should not be used interchangeably.