Patent US 4,010,445

A word recognition apparatus using a dictionary of words is disclosed. The apparatus comprises, first of all, word storing means which stores words based on the classification of a plurality of words to be retrieved in block units. The words are stored in the order of block numbers so that characters placed in one or more given positions of a word forming an input character string may be used as a retrieving key. A block-starting-address storing means is provided for storing starting addresses of the clock units in the word storing means. A block-starting-address and limit-address taking-out means takes out a block starting address corresponding to a designated block number and a block limit address corresponding to a block number next to the designated number from the blockstarting-address storing means. An input-character-string storing means stores the string of characters recognized by a character recognition system. A block-number determining means responsive to the input-character-string storing means sequentially designates the number of blocks containing words having recognized characters of characters placed in the retrieving key positions of the input character string. A word taking-out means sequentially takes out words stored in the addresses beginning with the block starting address of the word storing means and ending with an address short of the block limit address by using the starting address and the block limit address which are taken out from the block-starting address storing means with the block number used as the retrieving key. Finally, a word comparing means is provided for detecting a word similar to the input character string to a degree over a given value by the comparison of the words thus taken out with the input character string.