if only vs while

if only

conj
  • Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see if, only. 

  • I wish that; signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future. 

  • I wish that; signifies a regret about an action in the past. 

  • Even if for no other reason than; only just. 

while

conj
  • Although. 

  • As long as. 

  • Until. 

  • During the same time that. 

  • Used to denote an individual experiencing racial profiling when performing a seemingly benign activity. 

noun
  • an uncertain long period of time 

  • an uncertain short moment 

  • An uncertain duration of time, a period of time. 

prep
  • Until. 

verb
  • To pass (time) idly. 

  • To occupy or entertain (someone) in order to let time pass. 

How often have the words if only and while occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )