1. A method for automatically recognizing characters and character groups in electronically represented text comprising the steps of: enabling selection of a region of the electronically represented text; electronically analyzing the region to produce characters and character confidences; selecting the characters associated with highest character confidence values of the character confidences; ascertaining electronic designations associated with a set of electronic patterns; iteratively electronically marking, with the associated designations, the selected characters that match the electronic patterns; creating an image of the region, if necessary, including the marked selected characters chosen according to relative values of the associated designations; electronically analyzing the image to produce new characters each associated with new character confidences; selecting final characters according to the associated new character confidences; and providing the final characters to an electronic sink.