Correct spelling is associated with social prestige. However, the research carried out in the Spanish-speaking world, from preschool to university, shows little impact of social class on spelling competence. In this study, we use lexical availability materials to investigate the influence of sociolinguistic factorsgender, type of school, area and sociocultural levelon pre-university students' misspellings. The factorial correspondence analysis showed that the variables studied are directly related to the type of error recorded. Sociocultural level may be especially significant: the lower the level, the greater and more stigmatized the reported errors. These results encourage us to reflect on the levelling power that school should have in the twenty-first century when preparing students to face life in society with the strongest guarantees of success.