Which Harry Potter novel was first published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

The first book in the series was published in the United Kingdom in 1997 under the title Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. When the American edition was prepared, Scholastic changed “Philosopher” to “Sorcerer” because editors thought the original phrase might be less immediately understandable to US readers.

The title change affected the text as well as the cover. Some references to the philosopher’s stone were changed to match “sorcerer’s stone,” making the American edition distinct from the British one. Later US books generally retained their original titles.

The philosopher’s stone is a legendary substance associated with alchemy and the transformation of metals. In Rowling’s plot, Nicolas Flamel created the stone, which can produce the Elixir of Life. The two titles therefore identify the same novel and the same magical object.