distinction vs difference

distinction and difference both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
distinction	Yes	No	No	No
difference	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, difference is a hypernym of distinction; that is, difference is a word with a broader meaning than distinction:

distinction (noun)	difference (noun)
a distinguishing difference between similar things or people	the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes	a disagreement or argument about something important
an honor awarded to someone in recognition of achievement or superiority	a variation that deviates from the standard or norm
high status importance owing to marked superiority	the number that remains after subtraction; the number that when added to the subtrahend gives the minuend
	a significant change