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Dumb question: is “reading” also used as a verb for audiobooks? (English is my second language).
by torben-friis 4y ago
Dumb question: is “reading” also used as a verb for audiobooks? (English is my second language).
- freedomben 4y agoYes. It's not without controversy, but it's widely accepted.
- stock_toaster 4y agoNo, in the dictionary sense, being told a story is not the same as reading. As with many words these days, certain liberties are taken.
- hejaodbsidndbd 4y agoIt didn’t used to be, but now it is quite common. I think that, as listening to audiobooks has become more and more popular (as per this thread), folks have tired of saying “listened to the audiobook of” and are switching to just “read”. Pretty standard linguistic evolution following subject frequency.
- kinghtown 4y agoAudiobook listeners ;) get really defensive about it but think about it this way: when you teach a child how to read, what kind of image pops in your head? Are they listening to mp3s??
- edanm 4y agoIn most contexts that's what I use. In contexts where it can be misleading I'll be more specific.
- dfinninger 4y agoTechnically, no. But sometimes it is used for that purpose. Most people you talk to expect “reading” to mean physically reading the book. But if you listened to it, you know the content as well as someone who read it. There’s usually not a reason to clarify because it’s not usually a useful distinction unless you want to discuss the narrator.