Do audiobooks count as reading?
Quick answer
The claim: if you listened to the audiobook, you didn't read it. Stop saying you did.
It sparks a fight every time. Here's what we found.
What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.
Open 125xWhat a study found
In a 2016 study, adults read, listened to, or read along with a nonfiction book excerpt. Comprehension scores showed no significant difference between the groups (a 2016 study).
Where the claim has a point
- Listening and reading are different activities.
- It's harder to skim back or slow down on a tricky passage in audio.
- Listening while busy can mean drifting off.
When each works best
- Audio: commutes, chores, story-driven books.
- Print or Kindle: dense nonfiction, books with charts, anything you'll highlight.
- See learn on your commute.
Our take
If it counts toward your reading goal is up to you. For many people, audiobooks are how books fit into life at all.
FAQ: questions people ask
Do audiobooks count as reading?
Comprehension can be similar, according to a 2016 study. Whether it counts for your goal is your call.
Do you remember audiobooks as well as reading?
A 2016 study found similar comprehension. Pay attention and replay hard parts.
Which books are best as audiobooks?
Story-driven books and memoirs. Dense nonfiction often works better in print.
Related guides
- Audiobooks vs Podcasts: Which Teaches You More?
- Turn Your Commute Into Learning Time That Sticks
- Kindle vs Paper Books: Which Helps You Read More?
- Is a 52 Book Reading Goal Hurting Your Reading?
- Every 125x guide
125x is a web app at 125x.app that turns your YouTube subscriptions into a feed with a summary on every video, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips, so you can see what's worth opening before you spend the time.
125x is made by Blake Labs Inc. 125x is not made by YouTube or Google.