single out vs distinguish

single out and distinguish both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
single out	No	No	Yes	No
distinguish	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, distinguish is a hypernym of single out; that is, distinguish is a word with a broader meaning than single out:

Other hypernyms of single out include differentiate, secern, secernate, separate, severalise, severalize, tell, tell apart.

single out (verb)	distinguish (verb)
select from a group	mark as different
treat differently on the basis of sex or race	identify as in botany or biology, for example
	be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense
	make conspicuous or noteworthy
	detect with the senses