Master confusing words with ease
A while vs. Awhile
A while
/ə waɪl/Examples:
It's been a while since we last saw each other.I'd like to sit and chat for a while, if you don't mind.The recipe requires simmering the sauce for a while.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Awhile
/əˈwaɪl/Examples:
She paused awhile to admire the sunset over the hills.Stay awhile and listen to the crackling of the fireplace.He sat awhile, lost in the beauty of the serene night sky.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- A while is a noun phrase consisting of the article a and the noun while.
- You can use a while after prepositions.
- Awhile is an adverb, meaning it describes how an action is performed.
- Awhile means for a short time and can be used when no preposition is involved.
- If you can replace it with for a while and the sentence still makes sense, use awhile.
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