18. A speech recognition circuit for identifying an unknown utterance as one of a set of reference words according to claim 17 characterized in that said partitioning means further comprises means (225, 226, 228, 505, 587) responsive to said stored distance signals for determining the centermost of said first signals and a first group of first signals which are within a predetermined distance of said centermost first signal; means (225, 226, 230, 232, 505, 600) responsive to said first group distance signals for successively forming groups of first signals having a predetermined degree of similarity including means (702-1 through 702-J, 720, 225, 232, 234, 600) responsive to the stored distance signals of said reference word for determining the centermost first signal of the immediately preceding group and for identifying the first signals of the immediately preceding group which are within said predetermined distance of the centermost first signal of the immediately preceding group as memebers of the next group of first signals; means (225, 600) responsive to all first signals of a formed group being within the predetermined distance of said formed group centermost first signal for identifying the first signals of said formed group as members of a cluster of first signals having a predetemined degree of similarity.
18. A speech recognition circuit for identifying an unknown utterance as one of a set of reference words according to claim 17 characterized in that said partitioning means further comprises means (225, 226, 228, 505, 587) responsive to said stored distance signals for determining the centermost of said first signals and a first group of first signals which are within a predetermined distance of said centermost first signal; means (225, 226, 230, 232, 505, 600) responsive to said first group distance signals for successively forming groups of first signals having a predetermined degree of similarity including means (702-1 through 702-J, 720, 225, 232, 234, 600) responsive to the stored distance signals of said reference word for determining the centermost first signal of the immediately preceding group and for identifying the first signals of the immediately preceding group which are within said predetermined distance of the centermost first signal of the immediately preceding group as memebers of the next group of first signals; means (225, 600) responsive to all first signals of a formed group being within the predetermined distance of said formed group centermost first signal for identifying the first signals of said formed group as members of a cluster of first signals having a predetemined degree of similarity. 19. A speech recognition circuit for identifying an unknown utterance as one of a set of reference words according to claim 18 further characterized by means (216, 230, 646) for storing the centermost first signal of the cluster as the template signal for said cluster of first signals.