Speech varies not only by region but by social position. A sociolect is a language variety associated with a particular social group defined by class, education, occupation, ethnicity, or similar factors.

Sociolectal features appear in pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon. Speakers may shift toward or away from prestige sociolects depending on audience and ambition. Variationist sociolinguistics quantifies these patterns and relates them to identity and mobility.

Unlike regional dialects, sociolects can coexist in the same neighborhood. Education systems often privilege one sociolect as standard, creating unequal evaluations of equally systematic varieties. Accurate description requires attention to both form and social meaning.

• Language variety linked to a social group
• Marked by sound, grammar, and vocabulary
• Interacts with prestige and identity
• Studied in variationist sociolinguistics