1. A speech recognition apparatus comprising: an input section arranged to input speech; a detector arranged to detect the present operating mode of a device; an instructor arranged to search a memory in which has been stored information indicating a corresponding relationship between the operating mode of the device and data for speech recognition, and to issue an instruction indicative of data for speech recognition, which has been retrieved from the memory, corresponding to the operating mode of the device; and a recognition section arranged to recognize the input speech using the data for speech recognition indicated by the instruction from said instructor.