An information recording and reproducing apparatus provides users with an easy designation of a playback start position and a playback time. Sound data is sequentially stored in association with time data and information such as a letter and a symbol is inputted with a marker with which a user writes. When the user designates the letter or symbol with the marker, playback of the sound data recorded at an input start time of the letter or symbol is started. When the playback end is indicated using the marker, the playback of the sound data is terminated.