What are the differences between the American and English versions of the Harry Potter books?

Answer 1

1. Cover Art.
2. Title of the first book (UK: Philosopher's Stone, US Sorcerer's Stone)
3. UK has "Adult" versions with non-cartoon cover art for adults too embarrassed to admit they're reading Harry Potter.
4. Language: In the earlier books, Scholastic changed British usages to US usages. As the series went on, this decreases, but I am not sure if it ceases altogether.

wl

Answer 2

I'm going to agree with the others for the most part. Yes, cover art was different and yes, so was the first book title. My mother read both versions of the first book, even comparing as she went along. The differences were colloquialisms for the most part. In the US we stand in line; in Great Britain it's a queue. Different words for things like televisions, bathrooms and even Mums. :) When I was in England some years back, we had a discussion with a bartender regarding a pitcher vs a jug. It's just what we, as readers, relate to.

Another book by a British author has also experienced a title change - Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass was The Northern Lights in England. It happens quite a bit (I've seen it with teen books and some romance, too), but I think Harry Potter books brought the differences to the forefront.

Answer 3

the chapter pictures may be different, i'm not sure though... i know the covers are... besides that, prolly just language stuff, like when dumbledores password to his office was sherbert it said something different for americans b/c when we hear sherbert we think of ice cream, not a hard candy

Answer 4

dont know but probably stuff like jelly and jam become jello and jelly, pavement to sidewalk, I think philosophers stone became sorcerers stone in the first book
stuff like that
i only put english english first cos the author is british so no thats racism bull **** please

Answer 5

just spelling and a few words