33. A method for recognizing a speech pattern as a string of predetermined reference words comprising the steps of: storing a set of signals representative of the time frame sequence of acoustic features of each reference word from a beginning frame to an ending frame; producing a set of signals representative of the time frame sequence of acoustic features of the speech from a beginning frame to a final frame; generating at least one reference word string responsive to the feature signals of the reference words and the feature signals of the speech pattern; and identifying the speech pattern as one of said generated reference word strings; the reference word string generating step comprising: generating a set of signals to identify successive levels of said reference words, assigning a segment of the speech pattern to each successive reference word level, at each reference word level dynamically time warping the feature signals of each reference word with the feature signals of the speech pattern segment assigned to the level to produce signals representative of time registration path speech pattern endframes for said reference word and signals representative of the correspondence of the reference word and speech pattern segment feature signals along the time registration paths, and selecting strings of reference words responsive to the time registration path speech pattern endframe and correspondence signals of the levels.
33. A method for recognizing a speech pattern as a string of predetermined reference words comprising the steps of: storing a set of signals representative of the time frame sequence of acoustic features of each reference word from a beginning frame to an ending frame; producing a set of signals representative of the time frame sequence of acoustic features of the speech from a beginning frame to a final frame; generating at least one reference word string responsive to the feature signals of the reference words and the feature signals of the speech pattern; and identifying the speech pattern as one of said generated reference word strings; the reference word string generating step comprising: generating a set of signals to identify successive levels of said reference words, assigning a segment of the speech pattern to each successive reference word level, at each reference word level dynamically time warping the feature signals of each reference word with the feature signals of the speech pattern segment assigned to the level to produce signals representative of time registration path speech pattern endframes for said reference word and signals representative of the correspondence of the reference word and speech pattern segment feature signals along the time registration paths, and selecting strings of reference words responsive to the time registration path speech pattern endframe and correspondence signals of the levels. 40. A method for recognizing a speech pattern as a string of predetermined reference words according to claim 33 wherein the dynamic time warping step further comprises: selecting a range of reference word frames for time warping with each speech pattern segment frame responsive to the reference word and level speech pattern segment feature signals including extending the reference word range lower limit frame to the reference word beginning frame responsive to the reference word range lower limit frame being less than a first predetermined number, and extending the reference word range upper limit frame to the reference word ending frame responsive to the reference word range upper limit frame being greater than a second predetermined number.