2. A prefiltering system for processing speech, said speech including a succession of utterances spoken in any of continuous and discrete form, comprising: A. cluster data storage means for storing a plurality of M cluster data sets, C.sub.1, . . . , C.sub.M, where M is an integer greater than 1, each of said cluster data sets including data representative of a plurality of word models; B. frame data means for generating a succession of w frame data sets v.sub.t, v.sub.t+1, . . . v.sub.t+w-1, beginning at a frame start time t during said succession of utterances spoken in any of continuous and discrete form, where w is an integer greater than 1, said succession of frame data sets being representative of a corresponding succession of temporal segments of said utterances spoken in any of continuous and discrete form, each of said frame data sets including k values representative of different frame parameters, where k.gtoreq.1; C. data reduction means selectively operable on said w frame data sets for generating s reduced frame data sets Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, . . . , Y.sub.3, where s&lt;w, each of said reduced frame data sets being related to an associated plurality of said frame data sets and including j values representative of different reduced frame data set parameters; D. scoring means for evaluating each of said reduced frame data sets against succession of said cluster data sets to generate a cluster score S.sub.Y for each of said cluster data sets; E. selectively operable identifying means for identifying each of said word models of said cluster data sets having a cluster score bearing a predetermined relation to at least one threshold score T, said identified word models defining a candidate word list; F. control means for determining said frame start times t, where successive start times t are spaced apart arbitrarily, said frame start times being independent of identification of an initial anchor; and G. means for generating a signal representative of said candidate word list for preselected ones of said frame start times t determined by said control means.
2. A prefiltering system for processing speech, said speech including a succession of utterances spoken in any of continuous and discrete form, comprising: A. cluster data storage means for storing a plurality of M cluster data sets, C.sub.1, . . . , C.sub.M, where M is an integer greater than 1, each of said cluster data sets including data representative of a plurality of word models; B. frame data means for generating a succession of w frame data sets v.sub.t, v.sub.t+1, . . . v.sub.t+w-1, beginning at a frame start time t during said succession of utterances spoken in any of continuous and discrete form, where w is an integer greater than 1, said succession of frame data sets being representative of a corresponding succession of temporal segments of said utterances spoken in any of continuous and discrete form, each of said frame data sets including k values representative of different frame parameters, where k.gtoreq.1; C. data reduction means selectively operable on said w frame data sets for generating s reduced frame data sets Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, . . . , Y.sub.3, where s&lt;w, each of said reduced frame data sets being related to an associated plurality of said frame data sets and including j values representative of different reduced frame data set parameters; D. scoring means for evaluating each of said reduced frame data sets against succession of said cluster data sets to generate a cluster score S.sub.Y for each of said cluster data sets; E. selectively operable identifying means for identifying each of said word models of said cluster data sets having a cluster score bearing a predetermined relation to at least one threshold score T, said identified word models defining a candidate word list; F. control means for determining said frame start times t, where successive start times t are spaced apart arbitrarily, said frame start times being independent of identification of an initial anchor; and G. means for generating a signal representative of said candidate word list for preselected ones of said frame start times t determined by said control means. 19. A system according to claim 2 wherein said data reduction means is adapted whereby j=k.