According to one embodiment, an information search apparatus includes a generation unit, a selection unit, a search unit and a display unit. The generation unit generates recognition candidate character strings based on shapes of strokes and combinations of the shapes. The selection unit calculates reliability values for the recognition candidate character strings and selects search keys from the recognition candidate character strings. The search unit searches a database for second character strings including the search keys, and obtains one or more result character strings indicating search results of each of the search keys. The display displays the one or more result character strings corresponding to each of the search keys distinctively.