The word résumé uses an acute accent (é) twice, and typing it depends on your operating system and the app you’re using. On Windows, the fastest method is holding Ctrl and pressing the apostrophe key, then typing the letter e. On a Mac, hold the Option key and press e, then release both and press e again. Both produce the accented é instantly, no special software needed.
Why the Accent Matters
Without the accents, “resume” looks identical to the verb meaning “to continue.” Adding the acute accents in résumé signals to the reader that you mean the job application document, not the act of resuming something. In formal contexts like job applications and academic submissions, using the accented spelling removes any ambiguity. That said, the unaccented “resume” is widely accepted in everyday writing, and most hiring managers won’t penalize you either way.
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows gives you two reliable options that work across most applications.
Ctrl + Apostrophe method: Press Ctrl and the apostrophe key (‘) at the same time, release both, then type the letter e. You’ll get é. For uppercase É, do the same thing but type a capital E. This works in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and many other programs.
Alt code method: Make sure Num Lock is turned on. Hold the Alt key and type 0233 on the numeric keypad (not the number row across the top of your keyboard). Release Alt, and é appears. For uppercase É, use Alt + 0201. This method works in virtually any Windows application, including plain text fields and web browsers, but it requires a numeric keypad. Laptop users without one should stick with the Ctrl + Apostrophe shortcut or use the methods described below.
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
On a Mac, hold the Option key and press e. Release both keys, then press e again. The first step tells macOS you want an acute accent; the second step places it over the letter e. For uppercase É, hold Option and press e, release, then type Shift + E.
There’s also a press-and-hold trick that works in most Mac apps: hold down the e key for about a second, and a small popup menu appears showing accented variations (è, é, ê, ë, and others). Press the number next to é or click it directly.
Typing é in Microsoft Word
Word supports all the keyboard shortcuts listed above, plus a menu-based approach if you prefer pointing and clicking. Go to Insert, then Symbol, then More Symbols. In the dialog box, find é in the character grid, select it, and click Insert. This is slower than the keyboard shortcuts, but it’s useful if you can never remember the key combinations.
Word also lets you use Unicode codes. Type 00E9 where you want the character, then immediately press Alt + X. Word converts the code into é. For uppercase É, type 00C9 and press Alt + X.
Typing é in Google Docs
Google Docs doesn’t support Alt codes or the Ctrl + Apostrophe shortcut natively. Instead, go to Insert, then Special Characters. A search box appears where you can type “e acute” or simply draw the character with your mouse. Click the correct result, and it drops into your document. On a Mac, the Option + e shortcut works inside Google Docs since it’s handled at the operating system level.
Copy and Paste
The simplest method of all: copy the word résumé from this article (or from a quick web search) and paste it into your document. If you only need the accented spelling once or twice, this is perfectly practical. You can also save “résumé” as an autocorrect entry in Word or Google Docs so that typing “resume” automatically converts to the accented version every time.
Should You Use the Accent on a Job Application?
Using résumé with accents is the more formal and technically correct spelling. It looks polished on the document itself, in cover letters, and in email subject lines. However, there’s one practical concern: applicant tracking systems. These are the software platforms employers use to collect and filter applications before a human ever reads them. Some ATS platforms have trouble parsing accented characters, which could cause your name, headings, or keywords to display incorrectly in the employer’s system.
If you’re uploading your document through an online application portal, the safest approach is to use the unaccented “resume” in file names, form fields, and any plain-text boxes. On the document itself (a Word file or PDF that preserves formatting), using résumé with accents is generally fine. When in doubt, the unaccented spelling is universally readable by both humans and software, and no recruiter will view it as an error.