This invention has as its object to provide a speech recognition system to which a client and a device that provides a speech recognition process are connected, which provides a plurality of usable speech recognition means to the client, and which allows the client to explicitly switch and use the plurality of speech recognition means connected to the network. To achieve this object, a speech recognition system of this invention has speech input means for inputting speech at the client, designation means for designating one of the plurality of usable speech recognition means, and processing means for making the speech recognition means designated by the designation means recognize speech input from the speech input means.