What is a hornet vs. a wasp?

What is a hornet vs a wasp is that hornets are actually a type of wasp, specifically larger social wasps in genus Vespa, while wasp is broader category that includes many species including hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps, and solitary wasps, so all hornets are wasps but not all wasps are hornets. Hornets are generally larger than typical wasps, about 1 to 2 inches compared to 0.5 to 1 inch for yellow jackets and paper wasps, with more robust bodies, and they build large enclosed paper nests with single entrance, often in trees or shrubs, while yellow jackets build nests underground or in wall cavities and paper wasps build open nests with visible cells. Hornets like bald-faced hornet, which is actually yellow jacket, and European hornet are known for more aggressive nest defense. Wasps as broader group include social wasps that live in colonies and solitary wasps like mud daubers that are docile and rarely sting. In terms of sting, both can sting multiple times, unlike honeybees, and hornet stings are often more painful due to larger venom amount. Ecologically, both are beneficial predators that control pest insects and some pollinate. So hornet vs wasp is that hornet is larger subset of wasp family Vespidae, with larger size and enclosed nests, while wasp includes many smaller and solitary species, and for practical purposes, if insect is large, robust, and has large enclosed paper nest, it is likely hornet, otherwise likely other wasp.