résumé

/ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ/

//ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ// noun

"resume" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“résumé” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,924 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,924
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Alternative spelling of resume (“a summary, especially of employment history”).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

résumé vs reuse
33% similar
résumé vs revue
33% similar
résumé vs resumed
57% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for résumé
PropertyValue
Headwordrésumé
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#35,924
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “résumé” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). résumé lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for résumé is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,924 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Alternative spelling of resume (“a summary, especially of employment history”).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for résumé, with forms such as "rrésumé", "rséumé", and "résmué". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "reuse", "revue", "resumed", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French résumé, past participle of résumer (“to summarize”), from Latin resūmere (“to take back”); compare resume. The correct English form is résumé, spelled R-É-S-U-M-É.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative spelling of resume (“a summary, especially of employment history”).

Etymology

Borrowed from French résumé, past participle of résumer (“to summarize”), from Latin resūmere (“to take back”); compare resume.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rrésumé,rséumé,résmué,réssumé,résummé,résuém,réusmé,érsumé

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of résumé - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

rrésumé1rséumé2résmué2réssumé1résummé1résuém2réusmé2érsumé2
Edit distance from "résumé"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "résumé"?
"résumé" is spelled R-É-S-U-M-É. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ/.
What does "résumé" mean?
As a noun, "résumé" means: Alternative spelling of resume (“a summary, especially of employment history”).
What words are commonly confused with "résumé"?
"résumé" is commonly confused with "reuse", "revue", "resumed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "résumé"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "résumé" is /ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "résumé"?
Borrowed from French résumé, past participle of résumer (“to summarize”), from Latin resūmere (“to take back”); compare resume. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “résumé”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is R-É-S-U-M-É - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹɛz.(j)ʊˌmeɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “reuse” - see the side-by-side comparison. résumé vs reuse
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list