When phonetic science is extended from an individual to a dyadic system base, it acquires relevance to intercultural communication. A study examining the ability of sixteen Japanese American bilingual communicators to be understood in a situation of stressful audial interference establishes the upper limit for training in pronunciation. An approach designed to modify the dialect of college-age adults living in a multilingual community is also based on the dyadic model. Characterization of the patterns of intercultural communication in terms of dyadic phonetic patterns, such as time-imbalance, switching pause, and mismatch analysis, provides a focus for more detailed analysis of international relationships. As phonetic science becomes important to intercultural communication, it assumes the potential for making contributions to worldwide communication needs. (KS)