A method of operating a vocoder so that a variable frame rate results while maintaining a constant bit rate is disclosed. A base frame rate remains constant. However, spectral change is measured to determine an appropriate subframe rate within the base frame. Only one of a plurality of separate vector quantization processes is selected in response to spectral change for performance of a vector quantization operation on LPC spectrum coefficients. Each of the plurality of vector quantization operations utilizes its own codebook that contains a different quantity of reference patterns from that contained in the other codebooks. Each vector quantization operation produces a reference pattern descriptor code that contains a different number of bits from that produced by the other vector quantization processes. Vector quantization operations producing smaller, less spectrally accurate outputs are selected when more subframes are included with a base frame, and vector quantization operations producing larger, more spectrally accurate outputs are selected when fewer subframes are included within a base frame.