CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English

30/04/2025 Language rules Time to read: 4min

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When you compare British English vs. American English, you may find different uses for one word or even a complete replacement. To stay consistent and trustworthy in your academic writing, it is necessary to know which word to use if you have two options or what meaning they have in each form of the English language. An example of a variation in meaning can be found in the words โ€œCVโ€ and โ€œresume,โ€ which will be explained in the following article.

โ€œCVโ€ or โ€œresumeโ€

A โ€œCVโ€ or โ€œresumeโ€ is generally a list of your academic life and job experiences used for applications. However, differentiating these two is a little more complicated than just dividing them into British English and American English becauseย both words are used in both languagesย for partly different things.

In general, a โ€œresumeโ€ is a short summary of about one to two pages, listing your contact information and most recent experiences or the ones relevant to the job you are applying for. Furthermore, you give a short overview about your soft skills and technical skills as well as possible volunteer experiences.

A โ€CVโ€ on the other hand, is an extended version of the resume. It includes additional information on the academic career as well as your aims, hobbies and other interests. A CV, short for curriculum vitae, is often longer than 3 pages and may go up to 10 for an experienced person.

CV-or-resume-UK-flag

British English

CV

(resume)

CV-or-resume-US-flag

American English

resume

(CV)

While both words are used in both languages, there are still some differences. In the US, a resume is used for simple job applications while the CV is solely for academic work positions. In Britain, the preferred version is the CV, which is nowadays more of a combination of the American CV and resume, but still long and detailed with information.

Examples of using โ€œCVโ€ and โ€œresumeโ€ as a noun

The following examples will demonstrate the linguistic divergence of the noun โ€œCV/resumeโ€ in British and American English.

  • British English: โ€œCVโ€
  • American English: โ€œResumeโ€
CV-or-resume-noun-UK-flag
  • I sent my updated CV with the application.
  • Hopefully, my CV will convince them to give this job to me.
  • How did you design your CV?
CV-or-resume-noun-US-flag
  • I sent my updated resume with the application.
  • Hopefully, my resume will convince them to give this job to me.
  • How did you design your resume?

Etymology and origin

English has many examples of words that have developed a different meaning in British or American English due to cultural influences, migration, and the natural divergence of the English language over time. โ€œCVโ€ and โ€œresumeโ€ in general both refer to a list of educational and job experiences used for applications. Below, weโ€™ll explain each wordโ€™s origin and etymology.

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The short form โ€œCVโ€ stands for โ€œcurriculum vitae,โ€ which is Latin and means โ€œcourse of life.โ€ This denotation is very fitting, considering that a CV really includes all your lifeโ€™s data, starting from your grade school up to your very recent job and interests.

CV-or-resume-etymology-US-flag

โ€œResumeโ€ derives from the French word โ€œrรฉsumรฉ,โ€ which means โ€œabstractโ€ or โ€œsummary.โ€ It describes perfectly how a resume really is just a short summary of the most important jobs and experiences in your life, cut into shape to fit your application.

FAQs

No, both words are used in both languages. While a resume gives a short summary about your academic and job life, a CV goes in deeper, listing every experience you have and every school you went to. In the US, however, a resume is used for all non-academic jobs, which is also the case for the British CV.

This depends on where you live and which job you are applying to. In Britain, you mostly use a CV for every application. In America, however, you use a resume for public or private jobs, while you use a CV for all academic jobs.

This, of course, depends on your age and experience. A CV should have around 2-3 pages, but it can always be longer than that. In the case of an experienced academic worker, it can hold up to 10 pages sometimes.

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Leonie Schmid

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Leonie Schmid is studying marketing at IU Nuremberg in a dual program and is working towards a bachelor's degree. She has had a passion for writing ever since she was little, whether it is fiction or later on scientific. Her love for the English language and academic topics has led her to BachelorPrint as a dual student, seeking to provide educational content for students everywhere all around the world.

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Bibliography

Schmid, L. (2025, April 30). CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English. BachelorPrint. https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/ (retrieved 21/05/2025)

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Schmid (2025)

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Schmid, Leonie. 2025. "CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English." BachelorPrint, Retrieved May 21, 2025. https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/.

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(Schmid 2025)

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Leonie Schmid, "CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English," BachelorPrint, April 30, 2025, https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/ (retrieved May 21, 2025).

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Schmid, Leonie: CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English, in: BachelorPrint, 30/04/2025, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/ (retrieved 21/05/2025).

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Schmid, Leonie: CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English, in: BachelorPrint, 30/04/2025, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/ (retrieved 21/05/2025).
Direct quote
Schmid, 2025.
Indirect quote
Schmid, 2025.

Bibliography

Schmid, Leonie (2025): CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English, in: BachelorPrint, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/ (retrieved 21/05/2025).

In-text citation

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(Schmid, 2025)
Indirect quote
(Schmid, 2025)
Narrative
Schmid (2025)

Bibliography

Schmid, Leonie. "CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English." BachelorPrint, 30/04/2025, https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/ (retrieved 21/05/2025).

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Parenthetical
(Schmid)
Narrative
Schmid

Bibliography

Number. Schmid L. CV Or Resume โ€“ British vs. American English [Internet]. BachelorPrint. 2025 [cited 21/05/2025]. Available from: https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/british-english-vs-american-english/cv-or-resume/


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