Awhile is an adverb meaning “for a while.” A while is a noun phrase meaning  “a period of time.” The major difference is in function. Awhile acts like an adverb, describing an action. For example: I talked awhile.  We drove awhile. A while, on the other hand, acts like a noun.  For example:  It has been a while since we’ve spoken. […]

AlotAlot is a misspelling of a lot.  It’s not considered a word and should not be used in formal writing.A lotA lot means a large number or amount.  A lot is a collocation—any combination of two or more words that go together so consistently that they can be treated like one word, e.g. nuclear disarmament. It can […]