As nouns the difference between hardship and difficulties
is that hardship is (countable or uncountable) Difficulty or trouble; hard times while difficulties is plural of lang=en.
hardship
English
Noun
(
en noun)
(countable or uncountable) Difficulty or trouble; hard times.
- He has survived periods of financial hardship before.
difficulties
English
Noun
(head)
(colloquial) a series of frustrations