A voice recognition rejection scheme for capturing an utterance includes the steps accepting the utterance, applying an N-best algorithm to the utterance, or rejecting the utterance. The utterance is accepted if a first predefined relationship exists between one or more closest comparison results for the utterance with respect to a stored word and one or more differences between the one or more closest comparison results and one or more other comparison results between the utterance and one or more other stored words. An N-best algorithm is applied to the utterance if a second predefined relationship exists between the one or more closest comparison results and the one or more differences between the one or more closest comparison results and the one or more other comparison results. The utterance is rejected if a third predefined relationship exists between the one or more closest comparison results and the one or more differences between the one or more closest comparison results and the one or more other comparison results. One of the one or more other comparison results may advantageously be a next-closest comparison result for the utterance and another store word. The first, second, and third predefined relationships may advantageously be linear relationships.