Disclosed are a speech processing method and apparatus therefor which execute an installed artificial intelligence algorithm and/or machine learning algorithm to perform speech processing in a 5G communication environment. The speech processing method may include determining a temporary pause of reception of a first spoken utterance, outputting a first spoken response utterance as a result of speech recognition processing of a second spoken utterance received after the temporary pause, determining, as an extension of the first spoken utterance, a third spoken utterance received after outputting the first spoken response utterance, deleting a duplicate utterance part from a fourth spoken utterance that is obtained by combining the first and the third spoken utterance, when performing speech recognition processing on the fourth spoken utterance, and outputting a second spoken response utterance as a result of speech recognition processing of the fourth spoken utterance from which the duplicate utterance part has been deleted.