What title was used in the United States for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?

In the United States, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Scholastic, the American publisher, changed the title because editors believed “sorcerer” would be clearer and more appealing to American children than “philosopher.” The change also affected some wording inside the text, including the use of “soccer” rather than “football” in the American edition.

The two titles refer to the same first Harry Potter novel, not to different stories. The British title remained Philosopher’s Stone in many other English-speaking markets. The title difference is one of the best-known examples of regional adaptation in the series’ publishing history.