The invention discloses an iterative correlation symbol timing estimation method based on a block-type pilot frequency, which is mainly used for solving the problems that the traditional symbol timing estimation method is high in complexity and the estimation accuracy is low, and can be applied to a multi-user scene. The method disclosed by the invention comprises the following steps: firstly, removing a cyclic prefix, and carrying out fast Fourier transform, cyclic shift and integrated type sub carrier de-mapping, so as to receive the pilot frequency; secondly, selecting a determined and appropriate receiving pilot frequency and a local pilot frequency thereof through the obtained pilot frequency, and partitioning the receiving pilot frequency and the local pilot frequency thereof; thirdly, by virtue of the partitioned pilot frequency, calculating a first timing error estimation value, and obtaining a corrected pilot frequency by using the first timing error estimation value; fourthly, partitioning the corrected pilot frequency and the local pilot frequency, and calculating a second timing error estimation value; and fifthly, calculating a final timing error estimation value according to the two estimation values. The iterative correlation symbol timing estimation method disclosed by the invention has the advantages that the estimation precision is improved compared with a first path searching algorithm, the division of complex numbers is avoided, the estimation complexity is reduced, and the estimation method disclosed by the invention can be popularized to the multi-user scene of an uplink in LTE.