PURPOSE: To form easily a dictionary applying a black point part thinning processing and an internal point eliminating processing to an input character pattern to form the standard pattern and collating the standard pattern and the input pattern to use the standard pattern with less dissidence as a candidate character.

CONSTITUTION: A black point part thinning processing circuit 3 applies the blck point part thinning processing to the pattern stored in a dictionary registration pattern storage memory 2 from a scanner 1. Moreover, the standard pattern from which internal points are eliminated through an internal point eliminating circuit 4 is stored in a standard pattern storage memory 5 as the standard pattern. Then the input pattern to be recognized stored in an input pattern storage memory 6 is collated with the standard pattern at a collating circuit 7 to count the degree of dissidence of the black point parts and a candidate character selecting circuit 8 selects out the standard pattern having the least dissidence as the candidate character.