waif vs tyke

waif and tyke both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
waif	Yes	No	No	No
tyke	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, tyke is a hypernym of waif; that is, tyke is a word with a broader meaning than waif:

Other hypernyms of waif include child, fry, kid, minor, nestling, nipper, shaver, small fry, tiddler, tike, youngster.

waif (noun)	tyke (noun)
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned	a young person of either sex
	a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement