Instead, he is a vampire with the ability to hear thoughts. This is a common misconception, often confused with the telepathic abilities of other fictional characters.
In the books, Edward explains that he hears the thoughts of those around him as a continuous stream of information, like a radio station with many channels playing at once. He can choose which thoughts to focus on, and he can block out certain individuals if he wishes.
It's important to distinguish between telepathy (reading minds) and thought-hearing. While both involve accessing thoughts, telepathy implies direct communication and control, whereas thought-hearing is a passive ability to listen in on the thoughts of others.