In this paper, we address the problem of ink parsing, which tries to identify distinct symbols from a stream of pen strokes. An important task of this process is the segmentation of the users’ pen strokes into salient fragments based on geometric features. This process allows users to create a sketch symbol varying the number of pen strokes, obtaining a more natural drawing environment. The proposed sketch recognition technique is an extension of LR parsing techniques, and includes ink segmentation and context disambiguation. During the parsing process, the strokes are incrementally segmented by using a dynamic programming algorithm. The segmentation process is based on templates specified in the productions of the grammar specification from which the parser is automatically constructed.