26. A directory assistance system comprising a directory store for storing a plurality of subscriber names addressing associated subscriber information; means for recognizing a sequence of spoken character signals spelling a subscriber name comprising means for receiving a sequence of spoken character signals, means responsive to said received spoken character signals for generating a set of probable characters for each spoken character signal; means connected to said probable character set generating means for storing each set of probable characters in most to least probable order in a predetermined position of a position ordered array; means responsive to the storing of the final probable character set of the sequence for generating a candidate name comprising the most probable character of each position of the array; means for storing said candidate name; means responsive to the storing of said candidate name for generating a first signal; directory store search means responsive to said first signal for determining subscriber names corresponding to the sequence of spoken character signals comprising means responsive to said stored candidate name for selecting a sequence of directory store subscriber names; means for comparing the characters of each directory store selected sequence subscriber name with the corresponding characters of the stored candidate name in left to right order to detect directory store selected sequence subscriber names that match said stored candidate name; means responsive to the nonmatching names of the selected sequence of directory store subscriber names for detecting the rightmost first occurring mismatched position of all nonmatching subscriber names of the selected sequence of directory store subscriber names; means jointly responsive to the absence of matching subscriber names in the selected sequence of directory store subscriber names and the detected mismatched position for generating a modified candidate name and for storing said modified candidate name in said candidate name storing means; means responsive to the storing of said modified candidate name for generating a first signal to initiate a next directory store search; means responsive to the detection of at least one matching subscriber name in a selected sequence of directory store subscriber names for retrieving the associated information for each matching subscriber name; and means for forming a spoken message corresponding to each matching subscriber name and the associated subscriber information.
26. A directory assistance system comprising a directory store for storing a plurality of subscriber names addressing associated subscriber information; means for recognizing a sequence of spoken character signals spelling a subscriber name comprising means for receiving a sequence of spoken character signals, means responsive to said received spoken character signals for generating a set of probable characters for each spoken character signal; means connected to said probable character set generating means for storing each set of probable characters in most to least probable order in a predetermined position of a position ordered array; means responsive to the storing of the final probable character set of the sequence for generating a candidate name comprising the most probable character of each position of the array; means for storing said candidate name; means responsive to the storing of said candidate name for generating a first signal; directory store search means responsive to said first signal for determining subscriber names corresponding to the sequence of spoken character signals comprising means responsive to said stored candidate name for selecting a sequence of directory store subscriber names; means for comparing the characters of each directory store selected sequence subscriber name with the corresponding characters of the stored candidate name in left to right order to detect directory store selected sequence subscriber names that match said stored candidate name; means responsive to the nonmatching names of the selected sequence of directory store subscriber names for detecting the rightmost first occurring mismatched position of all nonmatching subscriber names of the selected sequence of directory store subscriber names; means jointly responsive to the absence of matching subscriber names in the selected sequence of directory store subscriber names and the detected mismatched position for generating a modified candidate name and for storing said modified candidate name in said candidate name storing means; means responsive to the storing of said modified candidate name for generating a first signal to initiate a next directory store search; means responsive to the detection of at least one matching subscriber name in a selected sequence of directory store subscriber names for retrieving the associated information for each matching subscriber name; and means for forming a spoken message corresponding to each matching subscriber name and the associated subscriber information. 27. A directory assistance system according to claim 26 wherein said modified candidate name generating means comprises means responsive to said detected mismatched position for substituting the next most probable character in the detected mismatched position of the array for the character in the detected mismatched position of the stored candidate name.