PURPOSE: To easily select a target character string and to facilitate character input operation by providing a display device for word descriptions in a dictionary part and switching the time for displaying one candidate with the angle of rotation of a shuttle

CONSTITUTION: One shuttle dial 3a and a determination key 3b are arranged as an input device 6 below the display device 50. The shuttle dial 3a is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise to change in state within a range of (-5)-0-(+5), and then automatically returns to the 0 position when freed from the hand. The direction of a read of words from a ROM can be set according to the direction of the rotating operation and the time for which one word is displayed A on the display device 50 can be set according to the quantity of the rotating operation. Thus, the character input device takes character strings out of a table containing the character strings, displays them on the display device in order, and varies the time for displaying the individual character strings; when the character string displayed on the display device is determined with the determination key, the character string is stored in a memory.