In a speech recognition system, apparatus and method for modelling words with label-based Markov models is disclosed. The modelling includes: entering a first speech input, corresponding to words in a vocabulary, into an acoustic processor which converts each spoken word into a sequence of standard labels, where each standard label corresponds to a sound type assignable to an interval of time; representing each standard label as a probabilistic model which has a plurality of states, at least one transition from a state to a state, and at least one settable output probability at some transitions; entering selected acoustic inputs into an acoustic processor which converts the selected acoustic inputs into personalized labels, each personalized label corresponding to a sound type assigned to an interval of time; and setting each output probability as the probability of the standard label represented by a given model producing a particular personalized label at a given transition in the given model. The present invention addresses the problem of generating models of words simply and automatically in a speech recognition system.