preference vs liking

preference and liking both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
preference	Yes	No	No	No
liking	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, liking is a hypernym of preference; that is, liking is a word with a broader meaning than preference:

preference (noun)	liking (noun)
grant of favor or advantage to one over another (especially to a country or countries in matters of international trade, such as levying duties)	a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment
the right or chance to choose
a predisposition in favor of something
a strong liking