A voice response unit for transmitting voice prompt messages to customers and for receiving messages generated by customers in response to the voice prompt message. The unit has a speech recognizer for recognizing customer commands used to control operation of the voice response unit. Apparatus interconnects a voice decoder and voice recorder with a telephone line to transmit a generated voice prompt message and to recieve a customer message in response thereto from a calling customer coupled with the telephone line. The apparatus is also coupled with the speech recognizer and responds to receipt of a customer command combined with a portion of the transmitted voice prompt message reflected from the telephone line by cancelling the reflected voice prompt message with the transmitted voice prompt message thereby enabling the speech recognizer to respond to the customer command during transmission of the voice prompt message and interrupt the voice prompt message.