33. A computer system for triggering handwriting recognition comprising: a network interface; an input module coupled to the network interface that receives the input data via the network interface; a processing unit; a memory coupled to the processing unit; a user input device for drawing one or more strokes of a desired sub-word unit, wherein one of the drawn one or more strokes is a first head-line stroke and is a last drawn stroke of the desired sub-word unit; a handwriting recognition engine coupled to the user input device that is responsive to the one or more strokes of the desired sub-word unit, wherein the handwriting recognition engine computes stroke recognition characteristics of each of the drawn one or more strokes with reference to a horizontal reference line, wherein the stroke recognition characteristics are selected from the group comprising aspect ratio and slope, determines a first trigger stroke in the drawn one or more strokes of the desired sub-word unit that can be used to trigger the sub-word unit recognition based as a function of the computed stroke recognition characteristics of each of the multiple drawn strokes, wherein the first trigger stroke is the first head-line stroke which is drawn substantially parallel to the horizontal reference line, and triggers sub-word unit recognition for the drawn one or more strokes based on the determined first trigger stroke, and wherein the handwriting recognition engine to produce a first candidate sub-word unit upon triggering the sub-word unit recognition; and an output device coupled to the handwriting recognition engine to display the produced first candidate sub-word unit.
33. A computer system for triggering handwriting recognition comprising: a network interface; an input module coupled to the network interface that receives the input data via the network interface; a processing unit; a memory coupled to the processing unit; a user input device for drawing one or more strokes of a desired sub-word unit, wherein one of the drawn one or more strokes is a first head-line stroke and is a last drawn stroke of the desired sub-word unit; a handwriting recognition engine coupled to the user input device that is responsive to the one or more strokes of the desired sub-word unit, wherein the handwriting recognition engine computes stroke recognition characteristics of each of the drawn one or more strokes with reference to a horizontal reference line, wherein the stroke recognition characteristics are selected from the group comprising aspect ratio and slope, determines a first trigger stroke in the drawn one or more strokes of the desired sub-word unit that can be used to trigger the sub-word unit recognition based as a function of the computed stroke recognition characteristics of each of the multiple drawn strokes, wherein the first trigger stroke is the first head-line stroke which is drawn substantially parallel to the horizontal reference line, and triggers sub-word unit recognition for the drawn one or more strokes based on the determined first trigger stroke, and wherein the handwriting recognition engine to produce a first candidate sub-word unit upon triggering the sub-word unit recognition; and an output device coupled to the handwriting recognition engine to display the produced first candidate sub-word unit. 34. The system of claim 33 , wherein the user input device selects the displayed first candidate sub-word unit by touching the displayed first candidate sub-word unit.