PURPOSE: To enable further selecting an item and to easily find out an object word and phrase by providing a retrieval means retrieving the only item satisfying the condition designated on first and a retrieval means performing the forward coincidence or backward coincidence retrieval for the item one more time.

CONSTITUTION: At a first 'NE', the only items satisfying the condition of a forward coincidence are retrieved and displayed. Of course, other things may also enough as the primary condition. On the lower side on a display screen V, a 'backward coincidence' button 38 is provided as a means performing the backward coincidence retrieval so that words started by 'NE' may be again selected. When the backward coincidence button 38 is depressed, the input screen of the spells for the backward coincidence retrieval is displayed. When a desired spell of 'RY' is inputted, all the pertinent items are displayed. As the double selection is performed in this state, the number of the pertinent item is less and a user can find out an object word easily.