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talking book

talking book

1 3.7
A recording of someone reading a book out loud for people who cannot see or prefer listening
  • noun
  • /ˈtɔːkɪŋ bʊk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : libro hablado
  • Soon, I hear the electronic beep of a talking book from the toy department, a rubber-duck squeak from infants, and the bike horn again, louder and faster this time.

Examples

  • Although talking books for the visually impaired were introduced in the 1930s, it wasn't until the 1950s that records could handle forty-five minutes of content, making audiobooks a reality.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Recorded for the Library of Congress in the talking books studio of the American Foundation for the Blind, Incorporated, solely for the use of the blind.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Pictello is a simple way to create visual stories and talking books.

    Academic text (2014)
  • After her vision loss, she found comfort in listening to talking books that allowed her to enjoy her favorite stories again.

  • Libraries often provide talking books for members who prefer listening instead of reading printed text.

  • Many students with learning disabilities benefit from talking books as they help improve comprehension.

Synonyms

audiobook
vstalking book
18 3.0

A recording of a book being read aloud so people can listen

is intended mainly for people with visual impairment or who prefer listening

Surface Forms

talking book singular
talking books plural

Morphology

talking + book

The meaning 'a recording of a book being read aloud' is directly derivable from combining 'talking' (spoken) with 'book' (a published book): it denotes a book that 'talks' or is presented in spoken form. This compositional noun–modifier pattern (equivalent to 'audiobook') is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Talking book comes from old recordings where someone read a book out loud, so the talking book seemed to 'talk' to the listener. So today talking book means 'a recording of a book', often made for people who cannot see the page or who prefer listening.