Abstract: Continuous speech recognition assigns predetermined words to syntactic categories and defines the syntactic categories which can follow and precede each predetermined word. The recognition process is achieved by comparing the input sequence of speech signals to reference values and summing those which are syntactically permissible until they form a valid word. Subsequent speech values to previouly calculated valid words are compared to reference values listed in syntactic categories which can follow the predetermined word. For each word, values are updated indicating the current word's sequence number, syntax category, cumulative comparison sum, and the current list of compared words. Values are also stored for each word which identify the previous word, the following word and their syntax categories. This process is repeated until all input values have been processed. The results are then checked to verify valid syntax and the words with the closest match are read out.