Difference between Hard wood and Soft wood

Hard wood and soft wood is a misnomer as the terms do not actually mean the softness or hardness of wood.

The wood produced by angiosperms is called hard wood. It is composed mainly of vessels and is also called porous wood. The wood produced by gymnosperm is called softwood. It is composed mainly of tracheids and is known as non-porous wood. 

Soft wood vs Hard wood

Hard wood Porous wood Angiosperm wood	Soft wood Non-Porous wood Gymnosperm wood
Wood with vessels or pores is called porous wood.	Wood without vessels or pores is called non-porous wood.
Porous wood is found in angiosperms.	Non Porous wood is found in gymnosperms.
The porous wood of angiosperms is technically called as hard wood.	The non-porous wood of gymnosperms is technically called as softwood.
It possesses vessels, fibres and parenchyma. Tracheids are rare or absent. Tracheid percentage often less than 5%.	It is mainly formed of tracheids and ray cells. Tracheid percentage ranges about 90-95%.
Xylem fibres are plenty.	Fewer Xylem fibres.
Eg: Teak wood	eg: Pinus wood