1. Speech recognition apparatus, comprising: speech responsive input means for generating an AC signal having a frequency determined by said speech; a detector for producing digital signals by comparing said AC signal with a threshold signal level; means for defining time intervals; means responsive to said digital signals and said time intervals for counting said digital signals within said time intervals; means responsive to said counting means for comparing the output of said digital signal counting means with plural count thresholds and for thereby categorizing said speech during said time intervals as fricative-like intervals, vowel-like intervals, or silence intervals; means for counting said fricative-like intervals, vowel-like intervals, and silence intervals to generate interval counts; means responsive to said interval counts for generating a fricative-like, vowel-like, and silence state sequence for said speech; means for varying at least one of said plural count thresholds in response to the previous state in said state sequence for said speech; means for comparing said state sequence with plural state sequence templates to identify a match; and means for generating an output signal identifying one of said state sequence templates which is identified as an exact match.
2. Speech recognition apparatus, as defined in claim 1, wherein said speech responsive input means comprises: a high gain amplifier driven to saturation by said speech.