1. A pattern recognition apparatus for identifying an unknown input pattern as the one of a number of reference patterns to which the input pattern is most similar, the input pattern and reference patterns each being composed of a plurality of sub-area patterns, said apparatus comprising: input means for converting the input pattern into digital electrical signals; first dictionary memory means for storing a plurality of partial characteristic patterns; first similarity calculating means connected to said input means and said first dictionary memory means for calculating an input pattern similarity matrix between the sub-area patterns of the input pattern and the partial characteristic patterns; second dictionary memory means for storing a number of reference similarity matrices corresponding to the number of reference patterns, each of the reference similarity matrices being calculated between the sub-area patterns of one of the reference patterns and the partial characteristic patterns; second similarity calculating means connected to said first similarity calculating means and said second dictionary memory means for calculating similarities between the input pattern similarity matrix and each of the reference similarity matrices; and comparison means connected to said second similarity calculating means for identifying one reference pattern by comparing the similarities calculated by said second similarity calculating means.