Disclosed is a method for initiating a mode for performing a function through voice recognition on a mobile terminal, which comprises the steps of: when a first key provided on the mobile terminal is pressed over a predetermined period of time, shifting to a voice dialing mode for making a call through voice recognition; when a second key provided on the mobile terminal is pressed over a predetermined period of time, shifting to a voice menu search mode for searching for a menu through voice recognition; and when a third key provided on the mobile terminal is pressed over a predetermined period of time, shifting to a voice phonebook search mode for searching for a name and a corresponding telephone number in a phonebook through voice recognition.