An apparatus for guiding handwriting input for handwriting recognition, the apparatus comprising: a touch screen for displaying a screen and receiving a touch input; a storing unit; and a controller configured to: extract at least one character feature information from at least one optical character, store the extracted at least one character feature information and each optical character in a correspondence manner in the storing unit, display a first handwritten stroke inputted by the user through the touch screen, detect first character feature information from the first handwritten stroke, determine a plurality of first optical character candidates from among the stored at least one optical character which have the same character feature information as the detected first character feature information, display the plurality of first optical character candidates through the touch screen, wherein the plurality of first optical character candidates are superimposed such that each of the plurality of first optical character candidates has the first handwritten stroke as part of its optical character; upon receiving input of a second handwritten stroke through the touch screen, display the input second handwritten stroke, detect second character feature information from the second handwritten stroke, determine a plurality of second optical character candidates from among the displayed plurality of first optical character candidates which have the same character feature information as the detected second character feature information, and control the touch screen to display the plurality of second optical character candidates, wherein the plurality of second optical character candidates are superimposed such that each of the plurality of second optical character candidates has the first and the second handwritten strokes as part of its optical character. a touch screen for displaying a screen and receiving a touch input; a storing unit; and a controller configured to: extract at least one character feature information from at least one optical character, store the extracted at least one character feature information and each optical character in a correspondence manner in the storing unit, display a first handwritten stroke inputted by the user through the touch screen, detect first character feature information from the first handwritten stroke, determine a plurality of first optical character candidates from among the stored at least one optical character which have the same character feature information as the detected first character feature information, display the plurality of first optical character candidates through the touch screen, wherein the plurality of first optical character candidates are superimposed such that each of the plurality of first optical character candidates has the first handwritten stroke as part of its optical character; upon receiving input of a second handwritten stroke through the touch screen, display the input second handwritten stroke, detect second character feature information from the second handwritten stroke, determine a plurality of second optical character candidates from among the displayed plurality of first optical character candidates which have the same character feature information as the detected second character feature information, and control the touch screen to display the plurality of second optical character candidates, wherein the plurality of second optical character candidates are superimposed such that each of the plurality of second optical character candidates has the first and the second handwritten strokes as part of its optical character. extract at least one character feature information from at least one optical character, store the extracted at least one character feature information and each optical character in a correspondence manner in the storing unit, display a first handwritten stroke inputted by the user through the touch screen, detect first character feature information from the first handwritten stroke, determine a plurality of first optical character candidates from among the stored at least one optical character which have the same character feature information as the detected first character feature information, display the plurality of first optical character candidates through the touch screen, wherein the plurality of first optical character candidates are superimposed such that each of the plurality of first optical character candidates has the first handwritten stroke as part of its optical character; upon receiving input of a second handwritten stroke through the touch screen, display the input second handwritten stroke, detect second character feature information from the second handwritten stroke, determine a plurality of second optical character candidates from among the displayed plurality of first optical character candidates which have the same character feature information as the detected second character feature information, and control the touch screen to display the plurality of second optical character candidates, wherein the plurality of second optical character candidates are superimposed such that each of the plurality of second optical character candidates has the first and the second handwritten strokes as part of its optical character.