When vs While

When and While are two common words in English. They are used to talk about multiple actions that happen around the same time.

Let’s look at the main differences between When and While.

When

We use the word When to talk about actions that happen at a SPECIFIC time. The time is often SHORT, and they might be connected (one action, then the next action).

e.g. “When my alarm went off, I woke up.”

First my alarm went off and made a lot of noise, then I woke up. These actions happen one after the other.

While

We use the word While to talk about actions that happen during a PERIOD of time. The time is often LONG, and the actions happen at the same time.

e.g. “While I was sleeping, my dog licked my face.”

I was asleep for some time, and in the middle of my sleep, my dog licked my face. These actions are happening at the same time.