Audiobook length / The Lord of the Rings
The Hobbit audiobook length
The unabridged The Hobbit audiobook by J.R.R. Tolkien is 10 hours 25 minutes long, read by Andy Serkis.
Length at 1x
10h 25m
10:25:01, unabridged
At 1.5x
6h 56m
saves 3h 28m
At 2x
5h 12m
half the time
| Speed | Listening time | Time saved | Days at 1 hour a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | 10h 25m | - | 11 |
| 1.25x | 8h 20m | 2h 05m | 9 |
| 1.5x | 6h 56m | 3h 28m | 7 |
| 1.75x | 5h 57m | 4h 27m | 6 |
| 2x | 5h 12m | 5h 12m | 6 |
| 2.5x | 4h 10m | 6h 15m | 5 |
| 3x | 3h 28m | 6h 56m | 4 |
When will I finish?
At 1.5x and 45 minutes a day you finish in 10 days.
Length from the Apple Books listing for this edition, checked 3 October 2026. Other stores sell the same recording at the same length.
How many days to listen to The Hobbit
Days needed to finish the 10 hours 25 minutes recording, by how long you listen each day.
| Each day | 1x | 1.25x | 1.5x | 2x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 42 days | 34 days | 28 days | 21 days |
| 30 minutes | 21 days | 17 days | 14 days | 11 days |
| 1 hour | 11 days | 9 days | 7 days | 6 days |
| 1.5 hours | 7 days | 6 days | 5 days | 4 days |
| 2 hours | 6 days | 5 days | 4 days | 3 days |
How long does it take to read The Hobbit?
Reading the book yourself takes about 6 hours 27 minutes at an average adult reading speed of 250 words a minute. The Hobbit is roughly 97,000 words, estimated from the audiobook at a narration pace of 155 words a minute, and print editions run about 310 pages (the middle value across 482 editions listed on Open Library).
| Reading speed | Time to read | At 1 hour a day |
|---|---|---|
| Relaxed (200 words a minute) | 8h 04m | 9 days |
| Average adult (250 words a minute) | 6h 27m | 7 days |
| Fast (300 words a minute) | 5h 22m | 6 days |
| Very fast (400 words a minute) | 4h 02m | 5 days |
Your speed: words a minute = 6h 27m. Reading is 38% faster than listening at 1x, and about the same as listening at 1.6x.
For any other book, page count or text, use the reading time calculator.
The Lord of the Rings audiobook lengths
| # | Book | Length | At 1.5x |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fellowship of the Ring | 22h 38m | 15h 05m |
| 2 | The Two Towers | 20h 46m | 13h 51m |
| 3 | The Return of the King | 21h 52m | 14h 34m |
The whole series takes 65 hours 16 minutes. See The Lord of the Rings audiobook length page for totals at every speed.
Listening faster
Most listeners are comfortable between 1.25x and 1.5x, which turns 10h 25m into 8h 20m to 6h 56m. If Andy Serkis’s pace feels slow, raise the speed by 0.1x every few days. For any other book, type its length into the audiobook speed calculator.
Questions
How long is The Hobbit audiobook?
The unabridged The Hobbit audiobook read by Andy Serkis is 10 hours 25 minutes long (10:25:01).
How long is The Hobbit at 1.5x speed?
6 hours 56 minutes at 1.5x, 8 hours 20 minutes at 1.25x and 5 hours 12 minutes at 2x.
Who narrates The Hobbit audiobook?
Andy Serkis, for Recorded Books / HarperCollins.
How long does it take to read The Hobbit?
About 6 hours 27 minutes at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, for roughly 97,000 words (print editions run about 310 pages). A fast reader at 300 words a minute needs about 5 hours 22 minutes.
How many days does it take to listen to The Hobbit?
At an hour a day it takes 11 days at normal speed, or 7 days at 1.5x. At 30 minutes a day it takes 21 days, or 14 days at 1.5x.
How long is the whole Lord of the Rings series on audiobook?
All 3 books add up to 65 hours 16 minutes. See the full list on The Lord of the Rings audiobook length page.
More audiobook lengths
- The Fellowship of the Ring 22h 38m
- The Two Towers 20h 46m
- The Return of the King 21h 52m
- Project Hail Mary 16h 10m
- The Martian 10h 59m
- It 44h 55m
- The Stand 47h 47m
- 11/22/63 30h 40m