Resume or Résumé? Spelling, Accents & Pronunciation
All three spellings, resume, resumé, and résumé, are accepted in American English, and no hiring manager will reject an application over which one you pick.
Plain "resume" is the most common choice on job applications and resume-builder tools; the accented "résumé" borrows the original French spelling and turns up more often in formal or academic writing.
The three accepted spellings
- "Resume": no accents. The most common form on US job applications, and the safest default if you are unsure.
- "Résumé": both accents, the original French spelling. Common in academic, government, and some international contexts.
- "Resumé": one accent only. Grammatically inconsistent, neither the English nor the French form, but still widely understood.
Why the accents exist at all
"Résumé" comes from the French word meaning "summarized." The accent marks pronunciation, without them, "resume" also happens to be an existing English word meaning "to continue," which is the source of most of the confusion.
How to type the accented version
- Windows: hold Alt and type 0233 on the numeric keypad for é, or use the Character Map.
- Mac: press Option, then E, then E again, for é.
- Google Docs and Word: Insert > Special characters, or let autocorrect convert "resume" to "résumé" if that setting is on.
How to pronounce it
"Resume" the document is pronounced REZ-oo-may, stressed on the first syllable, unlike "resume" meaning to continue, which is stressed on the second syllable: ri-ZOOM.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it resume or résumé?
Both are correct. Plain "resume" is the standard on US job applications; "résumé" with both accents is the original French spelling and common in formal or academic writing. Pick one and stay consistent within the same document.
Which is correct, resume or resumé?
"Resume" (no accents) and "résumé" (both accents) are the two internally consistent spellings. "Resumé" with a single accent is a common middle ground, still understood but not the standard form of either language.
How do you spell resume correctly?
For a US job application, plain "resume" without accent marks is the safest and most common spelling. It will never be flagged as incorrect by an applicant tracking system or a recruiter.
Is it pronounced resume or resume?
The document is pronounced REZ-oo-may, stressed on the first syllable. The verb meaning to continue is pronounced ri-ZOOM, stressed on the second. Spelled identically without accents, but pronounced differently.
Applygrid builds the ATS-friendly resume builder and AI cover letter generator behind these guides. We write from hands-on experience with how applicant tracking systems parse resumes, what recruiters actually screen for, and what gets job seekers to the interview.
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