Architecture for correcting incorrect recognition results in an Asian language speech recognition system. A spelling mode can be launched in response to receiving speech input, the spelling mode for correcting incorrect spelling of the recognition results or generating new words. Correction can be obtained using speech and/or manual selection and entry. The architecture facilitates correction in a single pass, rather than multiples times as in conventional systems. Words corrected using the spelling mode are corrected as a unit and treated as a word. The spelling mode applies to languages of at least the Asian continent, such as Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and/or other Asian languages such as Japanese.