1. A system for gesture recognition by a computing device, the system comprising: one or more processors; a memory coupled to the one or more processors; a touch-sensitive display coupled to the one or more processor; a virtual keyboard module configured to display a virtual keyboard on the touch-sensitive display and to receive a continuous stroke input by a user on the virtual keyboard; a recognition module configured to generate a single most probable candidate word corresponding to the continuous stroke input by a user on the virtual keyboard; and a candidate display module configured to display, over the virtual keyboard, one or more characters representing the single most probable candidate word, wherein the single most probable candidate word is displayed over the virtual keyboard without simultaneously displaying other candidate words over the virtual keyboard.