an apparatus and method for database searching using fuzzy rules is presented . the apparatus and method may accept a word or word phrase such as a persons name and returns fuzzy rules for database searching . applicable search rules are selected and word or word phrase equivalents are displayed to a user . the user accepts or rejects each of the word or word phrase . the word or word phrase along with the user &# 39 ; s acceptance or rejection are stored in a sample database . the fuzzy rules are modified according to the data in the sample database . the database is filtered by training and testing portions of the database for accuracy and purging the least accurate portions .