The present invention relates to a dictionary creating apparatus, a recognizing apparatus, and a recognizing method. A dictionary creating apparatus registers probability distributions each including an average vector and a covariance matrix, in a dictionary. The dictionary creating apparatus organizes plural distribution profiles of character categories having similar feature vectors into one typical distribution profile, and registers the typical distribution profile and the character categories to be organized, associated with each other, in the dictionary, without registering eigenvalues and eigenvectors of all character categories, associated with each other, in the dictionary.