Abstract: A byte synchronization detection system and method in which a vector subtractor circuit determines an error vector between a current read data pattern and a synchronization bit pattern, and an offset adder circuit determines a Hamming Distance of the next read data pattern by adding the difference between the Hamming Distance from current error vector to the synchronization bit pattern and the Hamming Distance from the next error vector to the synchronization bit pattern. The Hamming Distance is determined by selected elements of the error vector which are the output from the vector subtractor circuit. The offset adder circuit determines a difference between the Hamming Distance of the current read data pattern and of the next read data pattern. The synchronization bit pattern is between 16 and 18 bits in length, inclusive.