Differences in the UK and US Versions of Four Harry Potter Books
FAST US-1 Introduction to American English (Hopkins)
Department of Translation Studies, University of Tampere, Finland
Lexical differences between British and American English are numerous
enough that many mass-market books, especially those meant for younger
readers, are revised before publication in the 'other' market. While
there is more conversion of American publications into British editions
(see Differences Between British and
American English in Two Versions of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great
Gatsby for one example), due to the substantially larger U.S.
publication production, there is conversion from British to American as
well, due to the size and attractiveness of the U.S. consumer market.
The following lexical and punctuation differences between the UK and
U.S. editions of four Harry Potter books were compiled by and are
used with the permission (19 Dec 2001) of Edward Olson, who retains copyright
and to whom possible comments should be sent. Edward compared the
original U.K. Bloomsbury and U.S. Scholastic Press hardcover editions of
the four works.
Questions sometimes arise about an author's reaction to such editorial
changing of their work for another audience. The following passage from
an Associated Press article on July 6, 2000 by Audrey Woods titled
Success Stuns Harry Potter Author gives J.K. Rowling's reaction:
...what's this about changing some of the words in the U.S. edition so
American children could understand them? Rowling pretended to bang her
head against the sofa in mock frustration. "SO much has been made of
that," she groans, noting that it was only done where words had been
used that really meant something very different to Americans. Her
American editor pointed out that the word jumper British
for pullover sweater means a kind of dress in American.
She had had no idea. "He asked, 'Can we change it to sweater,' which is
just as British?" That was fine with Rowling.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's (U.S. Sorcerer's 1)
Stone
UK Edition | US
Edition | Page | Word or Phrase | Word or Phrase
| Page |
9 | lot | bunch | 4 |
9 | the baker's opposite | the bakery | 4 |
10 | shan't | won't | 6 |
13 | sherbet lemon | lemon drop | 10 |
16 | dustbin | trashcan | 14 |
16 | motorbike | motorcycle | 14 |
19 | bobble hats | bonnets | 18 |
19 | cooker | stove | 19 |
19 | roundabout | carousel | 18 |
20 | punch-bag | punching bag | 20 |
20 | sellotape | scotch tape | 20 |
21 | cine-camera | video camera | 22 |
21 | mummy | mommy | 21 |
21 | video recorder | VCR | 22 |
22 | cinema | movies | 22 |
23 | bobbles | puff balls | 24 |
23 | fringe | bangs | 24 |
23 | glove puppet | hand puppet | 24 |
23 | jumper | sweater | 24 |
23 | sellotaped | taped | 24 |
24 | beetroot | beet | 25 |
24 | bins | trash cans | 25 |
24 | ice lolly | ice pop | 26 |
29 | comprehensive | public school | 32 |
29 | letter-box | mail slot | 33 |
29 | post | mail | 33 |
30 | holidaying | vacationing | 34 |
34 | toilet | bathroom | 40 |
35 | a sharp turning | a sharp turn | 41 |
35 | motorway | highway | 41 |
35 | video | VCR | 41 |
36 | multi-storey car park | multilevel parking garage | 43 |
37 | packet of crisps | bag of chips | 44 |
42 | have a place | have been accepted | 51 |
42 | mum | mom | 50 |
43 | Dear Mr Dumbledore, | Dear Professor Dumbledore, | 52 |
52 | notes | bills | 65 |
52 | set books | course books | 66 |
53 | hamburger bars | hamburger restaurants | 68 |
54 | gummy | toothless | 68 |
61 | football | soccer | 79 |
67 | next day | the next day | 89 |
68 | trolley | cart | 90 |
78 | bogey-flavoured | booger-flavored | 104 |
83 | trainers | sneakers | 110 |
91 | ...three people left to be sorted.
'Turpin, Lisa' became | ...three people left to be sorted.
"Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the
Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa" became | 122 |
93 | jelly | Jell-O | 125 |
98 | queuing | lining up | 131 |
101 | Dear Harry, (it said in a very untidy scrawl) I know you get Friday afternoons off, | Dear Harry, I know you get Friday afternoons off, | 135 |
122 | pitch | field | 164 |
124 | football | soccer ball | 167 |
124 | rounders | baseball | 168 |
127 | jacket potato | baked potato | 172 |
135 | nobbled | clobbered | 184 |
140 | crumpets | English muffins | 199 |
147 | Happy Christmas | Merry Christmas | 200 |
147 | sweets | candy | 201 |
150 | a tea of | a meal of | 204 |
152 | disused | unused | 207 |
161 | Philosopher's Stone | Sorcerer's Stone | 219 |
165 | changing room | locker room | 225 |
167 | revision timetables | study schedules | 228 |
168 | One Hundred | One Thousand | 229 |
175 | dressing gown | bathrobe | 240 |
175 | teddy | the teddy | 240 |
179 | learns spells off by heart | learn spells by heart | 246 |
179 | revision | studying | 245 |
181 | Prof. M. McGonagall | Professor M. McGonagall | 247 |
182 | lookout | problem | 249 |
193 | on about | talking about | 265 |
214 | lavatory seat | toilet seat | 296 |
214 | sweet-shop | candy shop | 296 |
217 | quits | even | 300 |
218 | mad | crazy | 302 |
219 | barking | off his rocker | 302 |
219 | sweet-boxes | candy boxes | 303 |
221 | drawn | tied | 306 |
222 | came top of the year | had the best grades of the first years | 307 |
Book 2: Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets
UK Edition | US Edition |
Page | Word or Phrase | Word or Phrase | Page |
8 | top-of-the-range | top-of-the-line | 3 |
10 | fortnight | two weeks | 5 |
12 | ice-creams | ice cream | 10 |
13 | joint | loin | 10 |
17 | September the first | September first | 16 |
19 | wardrobe | closet | 17 |
22 | tinned soup | canned soup | 22 |
24 | 'Bit rich coming from you.' | "You should talk." | 25 |
26 | wound down | rolled down | 27 |
29 | wellington boots | rubber boots | 32 |
29 | windscreen | windshield | 31 |
33 | Father Christmas | Santa Claus | 36 |
38 | tank top | sweater vest | 44 |
39 | holiday | vacation | 45 |
42 | pulled the doors to | pulled the doors closed | 50 |
45 | an apothecary's | an apothecary | 54 |
48 | wonky | lopsided | 58 |
52 | group who | group that | 63 |
53 | boot | trunk | 66 |
53 | cock-crow | dawn | 65 |
56 | check no one's watching | check that no one's watching | 70 |
58 | bonnet | hood | 73 |
66 | good on you | good for you | 84 |
70 | timetables | schedules | 89 |
76 | can't say fairer | can't do better | 98 |
79 | candelabra | iron chandelier | 102 |
79 | waste bin | waste basket | 102 |
89 | It's mad | It's ridiculous | 116 |
89 | treacle toffee | treacle fudge | 116 |
93 | shift the slime | get the slime off | 121 |
94 | jump-jets | missiles | 123 |
94 | peaky | pale | 122 |
96 | he's got flu | he's got the flu | 125 |
101 | go to the loo | have a pee | 133 |
111 | hadn't got | haven't got | 146 |
111 | nutter | maniac | 146 |
118 | cistern | tank | 156 |
135 | prised | wrenched | 180 |
135 | prised open | opened | 180 |
147 | end of term | end of the term | 197 |
160 | cupboard | closet | 214 |
160 | Much the most difficult bit | By far the hardest part | 214 |
161 | treacle-thick | glutinous | 215 |
167 | gormless | clueless | 223 |
173 | news agent's | variety store | 231 |
185 | grass on Hagrid | squeal on Hagrid | 250 |
187 | rubbish | lousy | 252 |
198 | they went, crocodile fashion | they marched | 267 |
199 | A second later, Harry spotted something that made him hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears. | A second later, Harry spotted something. | 268 |
199 | Harry was pointing at the ground a few feet away. Several large spiders were scurrying across the earth. | Harry pointed out the spiders, following their progress with his eyes screwed up against the sun. | 269 |
199 | Harry watched the spiders running away. | Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would | 269 |
199 | Professor Snape escorted | Professor Sprout escorted | 269 |
208 | hatching Aragog out in | hatching Aragog in | 281 |
210 | revising | studying | 284 |
226 | monkey-like | monkeyish | 307 |
233 | straight away | right away | 302 |
240 | got fond | grown fond | 326 |
Book 3: Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban
UK Edition | US
Edition |
Page | Word or Phrase | Word or Phrase | Page |
7 | Adalbert Waffling | Bathilda Bagshot | 1 |
7 | torch | flashlight | 1 |
8 | whilst | while | 3 |
9 | he'd got Harry | he'd gotten Harry | 4 |
9 | row | fight | 4 |
18 | newsreader | reporter | 16 |
31 | a fair few | quite a few | 34 |
32 | letter boxes | mailboxes | 36 |
35 | bollards | wastebaskets | 41 |
36 | Minister for Magic | Minister of Magic | 42 |
49 | haring | racing | 60 |
49 | scarpered | scampered | 60 |
53 | rowing | arguing | 65 |
57 | queue | line | 71 |
62 | 'Get out of it!' | "Get out of here!" | 78 |
63 | Gorilla arms | gorilla-ish arms | 80 |
71 | timetable | course schedule | 90 |
73 | set us | assigned us | 93 |
75 | down our | down at our | 97 |
81 | Inner Eye testing | Inner Eye tested | 105 |
81 | wonky | crooked | 105 |
85 | pop my clogs | kick the bucket | 110 |
85 | rubbish | bad | 111 |
86 | bullclips | binder clips | 112 |
91 | sack | fire | 119 |
92 | problem he | problem that he | 121 |
108 | Gryffindor haven't | Gryffindor hasn't | 143 |
109 | cracking | spanking good | 144 |
120 | Next moment | A moment later | 160 |
142 | know it off | know it | 191 |
169 | large silver one | large silver noisemaker | 227 |
169 | tuck in | dig in | 228 |
170 | cracker hats | party hats | 230 |
173 | stop him | stop him from | 233 |
188 | Only we need | We need | 254 |
189 | do his nut | go ballistic | 255 |
200 | scarper | run | 270 |
209 | nor do I | neither do I | 284 |
217 | Slytherin win | Slytherin wins | 294 |
224 | clapping them | applauding them | 304 |
226 | Next moment, Fred Weasley had chucked | A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked | 307 |
226 | Penalty to | Penalty shot to | 307 |
227 | Next moment | Then again | 308 |
232 | reading up | reading up on | 316 |
232 | sit two | sit for two | 315 |
233 | ever sat | ever taken | 317 |
234 | second from last | second to last | 318 |
278 | mad | insane | 379 |
316 | at weekends | on weekends | 433 |
316 | in one go | in one gulp | 433 |
317 | check I'm happy | check if I'm happy | 435 |
Book 4: Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire
UK Edition | US Edition |
Page | Word or Phrase | Word or Phrase | Page |
11 | windows either side of the | windows on either side of the | 6 |
59 | Bulgaria have got | Bulgaria has got | 63 |
59 | Harry was passionate about Quidditch. He had played as Seeker on the Gryffindor house Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwarts and owned a Firebolt, one of the best racing brooms in the world. | Harry had been on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwarts and owned one of the best racing brooms in the world, a Firebolt. Flying came more naturally to Harry than anything else in the magical world, and he played in the position of Seeker on the Gryffindor House team. | 63 |
60 | they had their pudding (home-made strawberry ice-cream), | they had their homemade strawberry ice cream, | 63 |
63 | Harry knew that Apparating was very difficult; it meant disappearing from one place and re-appearing almost instantly in another | Harry knew that Apparating meant disappearing from one place and reappearing almost instantly in another, but had never known any Hogwarts student to do it, and understood that it was very difficult. | 66 |
63 | got your test | passed your test | 66 |
98 | prevent them using | prevent them from using | 108 |
133 | matron | nurse | 149 |
135 | also 'lost,' | also "travelling," "lost," | 151 |
135 | pointing at | pointing to | 151 |
139 | sorting them into two. | sorting them into two piles. | 156 |
215 | On excellent form | In excellent form | 244 |
223 | puddings | desserts | 253 |
228 | at weekends | on weekends | 258 |
231 | 'What's she like?' | "What is it with her?" | 262 |
284 | for one o'clock | by one o'clock | 324 |
336 | 'Now Potter… | "Now that Potter… | 385 |
353 | brace | braces | 405 |
427 | to bursting point | to the bursting point | 492 |
450 | preventing Snape slipping away | preventing Snape from slipping away | 518 |
478 | twenty-foot-high | twenty feet high | 551 |
499 | Impediment Jinx | Impediment Curse | 574 |
534 | revision | research | 615 |
539 | on eighty-five points | with eighty-five points | 621 |
583 | prise | pry | 671 |
623 | biscuits | cookies | 718 |
1 The original book, published in the UK, was entitled Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in reference to the mythical substance
that alchemists believed would transmute base metals into gold. When the
American publisher, Scholastic, brought the book out in the U.S., it
changed the book's name to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the
belief that American children would be confused by the apparent reference
to philosophy.
Other changes reflect British terms which are largely unknown
in the U.S. or which have more common 'equivalents.' For example on page
140 of the British edition of "Sorcerer's Stone" Harry and Ron are eating
crumpets, whereas on page 199 of the U.S. edition they are eating
English muffins. Similarly, eating a "packet of crisps" and
carrying a "torch" from the British edition are converted to eating a "bag
of [potato] chips" and carrying a "flashlight."
Thanks to Henriikka Mustalahti for her January 2008 corrections to the
original file!
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