Is the content of an audiobook identical to that of its printed version?

I haven’t bought any since they became unavailable on cassette but it seems that I remember the packaging used to say if the audio was verbatim.

Depends on who is making it. The good ones (Audible, Recorded Books) are word for word the same.

Some manufacturers do an abridged edition.

Word for word.

What kind of books are you referring to? If it’s an Abridged audiobook, it’s a shortened version of the original book.

@cheebdragon Will it state from the outset that it is abridged?

Here’s an example of why I’m asking this question: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
Amazon says that it is 416 pages long. The Audible version is 11 hours long. That’s 1.6 pages per minute, if verbatim. Is it really possible to read, aloud, that fast?

I would like to try audiobooks, but I’d like to know that I’m getting the whole thing before I buy it!

Yes, it would certainly state that it’s abridged if you’re buying from a reputable seller. Often, the audiobook will come with a free pdf containing charts, self-tests, etc. And for what it’s worth, I just timed myself reading a page of Quiet by Susan Cain – to an empty room, which seems apt – and I got through 80% of the page in one minute.

Wow, @longgone, thanks for your reply and for your test run. Good to know.
Of course, I’m sure that it also depends on the size of the type and the size of the page.

Yes. The word count on that page I read was 344, which seems to be on the high side of average for non-academic books. And it took me four minutes and six seconds to count the words. No matter what you say, I won’t be counting the letters.