1. A character recognition method for recognizing characters entered in a document or the like including preprint information, comprising the steps of: dividing an image in an area where the characters to be recognized are present into line segments individually, wherein the image is obtained by reading said preprint information and the entry characters; creating a recognition image by changing a combination of a plurality of line segments divided; memorizing a recognition result with reliability by making the character recognition for said created recognition image; and outputting the recognition result having a greatest reliability by making the character recognition for all the combinations while changing said combination of line segments successively.