1. A method for improving cursive handwriting recognition comprising the steps of: receiving a cursive handwriting input from a user; performing a first same space search against a mixed database having print and cursive handwriting samples to generate a first mixed alternate list of possible matches to the cursive handwriting input; performing a second same space search against a cursive database having cursive samples to generate a first cursive alternate list of possible matches to the cursive handwriting input; merging the first mixed alternate list with the first cursive alternate list to form a first combined alternate list; using the first combined alternate list as a constraint, performing a first dynamic time warp search against the mixed database to generate a second mixed alternate list of possible matches to the cursive handwriting input; using the first combined alternate list as a constraint, performing a second dynamic time warp search against the cursive database to generate a second cursive alternate list of possible matches to the cursive handwriting input; and merging the second mixed alternate list with the second cursive alternate list to form a second combined alternate list.