# awhile

> English word · Adverb · IPA /əˈwaɪl/ · frequency rank #8,387

## Definitions
1. For some time; for a short time.
2. In the meantime; during an implicit ongoing process.

## Etymology
From Old English ane (“(for) a”) hwile (“while”).

## Easily confused with
- **agile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agile-vs-awhile)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ahwile`, `awhhile`, `awhiel`, `awhille`, `awhlie`, `awihle`, `awwhile`, `wahile`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/awhile