A method and apparatus provide channel estimation for multicarrier systems. A minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) channel estimator makes full use of time-and frequency-domain correlations of the frequency response of time-varying dispersive fading channels. A robust channel estimator that is insensitive to the channel statistics is provided. The robust channel estimator can significantly improve the performance of a multicarrier system such as an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation system in a rapid dispersive fading channel. In addition, the estimation process can employ a new reference generator which can select the source of the reference signal as being a decoded or undecoded signal depending on the correction success rate of the decoder.