You can think of -hood as species or kind or group or order or class, and -ship as state. Neighborhood (the group of your neighbors) Knighthood (membership in the group or order of knights) Friendship (a state of amity) Hardship (a state of difficulty or suffering ) Womanhood (the class of women or membership therein) Statehood (the group of recognized political entities or membership therein) I should get extra points for defining a -hood with a -ship and for confusing you with **statehood** :)