# Do audiobooks count as reading? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/do-audiobooks-count/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Books & ideas · Updated: 2026-10-14 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* For enjoying a story, yes. A 2016 study found no significant difference in comprehension between adults who listened to a non-fiction book, read it as e-text or did both. Print still has the edge for dense material you need to study and remember, and listening while doing something else costs attention. So audiobooks count; they just suit some books and moments better than others. The question usually arrives with a hint of guilt. You have "read" twenty books this year, but twelve of them came through your headphones on the bus or while you were chopping onions. Does that count? Short answer: it counts as reading a book, and the research is more reassuring than the guilt. ## What the research suggests In a 2016 study, the researcher Beth Rogowsky and colleagues gave adults the same material from Laura Hillenbrand's non-fiction book *Unbroken* in one of three ways: as an audiobook, as e-text on a reader, or both at once. They found no significant differences in comprehension between the groups, [as TIME reported](https://time.com/5388681/audiobooks-reading-books/). There are caveats, which the same article sets out: - **It compared listening with screens, not paper.** Some research suggests reading on a screen can reduce comprehension compared with print, so print might have done better. - **It was about adults.** Skilled adult readers are not the same as children learning to read. - **Other studies disagree.** In a 2010 study co-authored by David Daniel, students who heard a lesson as a podcast did worse on a quiz than those who read it on paper. ## Where print has the edge Daniel Willingham, quoted in the same TIME piece, points to a few advantages of reading on the page: - **Going back is easy.** Around 10 to 15 per cent of eye movements in reading are glances back, and those regressions help comprehension. You can rewind an audiobook, but it is more trouble. - **You know where you are.** A physical book gives you a sense of position in the story that seems to help you follow its shape. - **It is easier to notice when you drift.** On paper you can see where your attention wandered and pick it up again. That is why, for dense non-fiction, study, or anything you need to remember in detail, paper (or at least text) is still the safer choice. For more on screens versus pages, see [e-reader or paper](https://zestasy.com/wiki/ereader-or-paper/). ## Where audiobooks shine - **Tone and voice.** A good narrator conveys irony, accent, humour and emotion that print leaves you to imagine. Comic novels, memoirs read by their authors, poetry and drama can all come alive. - **Time you would not otherwise have.** Commuting, walking, cooking, ironing. Audiobooks turn dead time into reading time, which is why they are so useful [when you're busy](https://zestasy.com/books/reading-more-when-busy/). - **Getting through difficult openings.** A strong performance can carry you through the slow start of a big classic. ## The multitasking catch Willingham's main warning is about doing two things at once: listening while doing another task, even something simple like driving or washing up, reduces how much you take in. He listens to audiobooks while driving himself, but would not use them for material he needs for work. The practical rule: for stories and leisure, listen while you walk, cook or travel. For anything you need to learn, give it your full attention, in whatever format. And choose easier books for busier activities: a light novel on a walk through a city, not a dense history. ## So does it count? If the question is "have I read this book?", we think the honest answer is yes: you have taken in the same words, the same story and the same ideas. If the question is "did I absorb it as fully as I could have?", that depends on the book and on what else you were doing, which is equally true of reading on a crowded train. ## FAQ ### Should I listen and read at the same time? Some people find it helps, especially with difficult texts or a language they are learning. In the 2016 study, doing both did not improve comprehension over either alone, so treat it as a preference rather than a technique. ### Are audiobooks good for learning Italian? They can be, especially alongside the printed text. Start with books you already know in English. Our page on [books to help you learn Italian](https://zestasy.com/wiki/books-to-learn-italian/) has ideas. ### What kinds of books work best as audio? In our experience, story-driven fiction, memoir, comic writing and anything with a strong voice. Dense argument and books full of tables or diagrams are harder going. ### Can audiobooks help with a reading slump? Often, yes. A change of format can make reading feel new again. See [getting out of a reading slump](https://zestasy.com/wiki/reading-slump/). ## Sources - [TIME: audiobooks versus reading](https://time.com/5388681/audiobooks-reading-books/) - [Wikipedia: Unbroken (book)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbroken_%28book%29) ## Related - [How do you read more books when you're busy?](https://zestasy.com/books/reading-more-when-busy/) - [Is it fine to read several books at once?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/several-books-at-once/) - [Is reading on an e-reader as good as reading on paper?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/ereader-or-paper/) - [How do you remember more of what you read?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/remembering-what-you-read/) - [Should you run with music or without?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/music-or-no-music/) - [All Books & ideas answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#books)