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Difference between ”A while back” and ”A while ago”

What is the difference between "A while back" and "A while ago" sentenses?

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AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgFebruary 2022
Both have the sense of ”at a point in the past which occurred quite a long time previously” - usually of the order of a few months or a few years.

The difference would be when it is used. ”a while ago” tends to be used more formally than ”a while back”.

Also, ”a while back” (at least from my experience as a native English speaker whose native dialect is neither British English nor American English) is used much more commonly among American English speakers than British ones. ”A while ago” is more common among British English speakers generally.
Anthony303 profile picture Anthony303February 2022
A while back and a while ago both mean the same, and that is to indicate a time a long time ago.

The only difference is that a while back is longer than a while ago.

Meaning, a while back indicates the time that is older than 8 months ago, while a while ago indicates 4 months ago.
  • AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgFebruary 2022
    Both could be used for 4 or 8 months into the past, especially when comparing with time frames of the order of several weeks...