Awhile and a while are pronounced similarly but have different grammatical roles and slightly distinct meanings. Awhile (one word) is an adverb meaning “for a period of time.” A while (two words) is a noun phrase meaning “a period of time.” After his run, Dane rested awhile. We’ll go to the theater in a while. Jodi studies awhile each evening. More @Wikipedia
Hover over any link to get a description of the article. Please note that search keywords are sometimes hidden within the full article and don't appear in the description or title.