Resume, resumé or résumé: which spelling is right?

Short answer: All three are correct. Merriam-Webster lists "résumé" first, with "resume" and, less commonly, "resumé" as accepted variants. "Resume" with no accents is the most common online, but it can be confused with the verb "to resume". Pick one spelling and use it everywhere on your resumé, cover letter and LinkedIn. Being consistent matters more than which one you choose.

Is it resume, resumé or résumé?

All three are accepted in English. Merriam-Webster lists the noun as résumé, with the variants “resume or less commonly resumé” (Merriam-Webster).

Spelling	How common	Notes
résumé	Common in formal writing	Matches the original French word
resume	Most common online	Easy to type, but looks like the verb “resume”
resumé	Less common	One accent, still clearly the noun

Where the accents come from

“Résumé” comes from French, where it means “summary.” The accents (called acute accents) tell you to say each “e” as “ay”: REZ-oo-may.

In English, people often drop the accents because they’re hard to type. That’s where the problem starts: without accents, “resume” is also a verb that means “to start again,” as in “classes resume Monday.” In most sentences the meaning is clear, but a job title like “Resume Writer” can look odd.

Which one should you use?

There’s no wrong answer, so choose based on what works for you:

• Use “résumé” if you want the most traditional spelling, and you can type accents easily.
• Use “resume” if you want the simplest option. Most job sites and application forms use it.
• Use “resumé” if you want to show it’s the noun without typing two accents. This is the spelling we use on this site.

Whatever you pick, use it everywhere: your document title, your cover letter, your email subject line and your LinkedIn. Mixing spellings in one application looks careless.

How to type the accents

• Windows: hold Alt and type 0233 on the number pad for é. In Word, you can also press Ctrl + ’ then e.
• Mac: hold down the e key and choose é from the menu, or press Option + e, then e.
• iPhone and Android: press and hold the e key, then slide to é.

Does the spelling matter to employers?

Not really. No employer will turn you down for writing “resume” instead of “résumé.” What they do notice is spelling mistakes in the rest of your application. Job Bank, the Government of Canada’s job site, says an employer spends an average of 30 seconds skimming a resumé (Job Bank), so a typo in those 30 seconds stands out. Spend your time proofreading, not worrying about accents.

What about “CV”?

In Canada, a CV is a different document: a long academic record, not a short job resumé. See resumé vs CV.

Related guides

• Resumé vs CV: what’s the difference in Canada?
• Canadian resumé format guide (2026)
• Why your resumé isn’t getting interviews

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-29.

1. Merriam-Webster. Résumé (noun). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resume
2. Job Bank (Government of Canada). How to write a good resume. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/resources/write-good-resume