9. A method of responding to speech-based queries system comprising the steps of: generating recognized speech data with a continuous speech recognition engine from a speech signal resulting from a speech-based query provided by a speaker; wherein said continuous speech recognition engine uses a limited speech recognition grammar of words which is loaded for a context experienced by said speaker when said speech-based query is made, said context being determined by an application program executing for said speaker at a time when said speaker provides said speech-based query; generating recognized speech sentence data corresponding to said speech- based query based on said recognized speech data; storing question/answer pairs corresponding to said speech-based query in one or more query/response databases; wherein a first limited set of question/answer pairs is selected based on said context from a complete set of question/answer pairs supported by such speech query recognition system; retrieving one or more question/answer pairs from said first limited set of question/answer pairs based on said recognized speech sentence data provided by a natural language engine, which natural language engine is further adapted by said context to not consider every possible word or phrase present in said complete set of question/answer pairs and only considers words and phrases present in said first limited set of question/answer pairs to determine a meaning of said recognized speech sentence data; wherein the system is configured so that said context controls both a limited speech recognition grammar used for speech recognition of the speech-based query and a set of one or more answers to be provided in response thereto.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said continuous speech recognition engine is distributed between a client device and a server device, and information for said context is communicated from said client device to said server device automatically based on a state of an application program executing on said client device.