11. A method for recognizing continuous speech according to claim 10 further characterized in that said word position reference word combining step comprises generating a signal representative of the similarity between each reference word series partial candidate and the utterance portion corresponding thereto responsive to said word position interval similarity signals; and said reference word series candidate identifying step comprises combining the similarity and correspondence signals for each reference word series candidate; and determining the reference word series candidate most closely corresponding to the utterance responsive to the combined similarity and correspondence signals for the reference word series candidate.
10. A method for recognizing continuous speech according to claim 8 further characterized in that said utterance identifying step comprises generating a selection signal responsive to the endpoints of all reference word series partial candidate of a word position interval being within a predetermined range of the utterance endpoint; generating a sequence of feature signals corresponding to each reference word series candidate responsive to said selection signal; producing a signal representative of the correspondence of the utterance to each reference word series candidate responsive to the reference word series candidate feature signal sequence and said utterance acoustic feature signal sequence; and identifying the reference word series candidate having the closest correspondence to the utterance responsive to said correspondence signals.