1. A method for recognizing a spoken utterance from periodic samples of an electronic acoustic waveform, comprising automatically: (a) determining upper and lower bounding frequencies and amplitudes of profiled waves extracted from each sample; (b) grouping samples as posture spectra and changing spectra; (c) calculating beat prominences of posture and changing spectra from amplitudes of profiled waves; (d) identifying syllables from patterns of posture and changing spectra and beat prominences; (e) calculating syllable prominences from beat prominences; (f) identifying words from syllable patterns and syllable prominences; and (g) storing electronically a series of data entries, each data entry identifying words of the spoken utterance.