With so many different Spanish dialects and accents in Spanish, how do I determine which one to use so that everyone will understand?
While it is true that there are 20 different Spanish-speaking countries (21 if we count the U.S.), and even more individual dialects within each country, almost everyone understands “standard Spanish”. This is the Spanish taught in schools, used in newspapers and magazines, and heard on radio and television everyday of the year by millions throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Unless you are trying to target a specific audience like, for example, the rural Puerto Rican, it would be a mistake to use a particular dialect.
