In this paper, we implemented a robust speech recognizer using the TMS320VC33 DSP. For this implementation, we had built speech and noise database suitable for the recognizer using spectral subtraction method for noise removal. The recognizer has an explicit structure in aspect that a speech signal is enhanced through spectral subtraction before endpoints detection and feature extraction. This helps make the operation of the recognizer clear and build HMM models which give minimum model-mismatch. Since the recognizer was developed for the purpose of controlling car facilities and voice dialing, it has two recognition engines, speaker independent one for controlling car facilities and speaker dependent one for voice dialing. We adopted a conventional DTW algorithm for the latter and a continuous HMM for the former. Though various off-line recognition test, we made a selection of optimal conditions of several recognition parameters for a resource-limited embedded recognizer, which led to HMM models of the three mixtures per state. The car noise added speech database is enhanced using spectral subtraction before HMM parameter estimation for reducing model-mismatch caused by nonlinear distortion from spectral subtraction. The hardware module developed includes a microcontroller for host interface which processes the protocol between the DSP and a host.