So, I just encountered one more pair of this kind with kun/on switch for extra fun. I’m sure there are more. Please post your favorites (or not), along with tips how to deal with those.
Honor and Glory thread was big help, I never missed review on that pair so far.
I can easily remember the difference between these two because we often use 栄光 to mean “glory” in church in Japan. Personally, I’ve never heard 光栄 before. It’s likely a literary or old word. In any case, it’s rare. For me, 栄光 is much more relevant.
In my Japanese dictionary, an example of 光栄 is given from the Japanese epic 太平記 (Taiheiki, A Chronicle of Medieval Japan). So, it can definitely be used in a literary sense. Since I never hear it in everyday life, I assume its appearance in literature is rather common. The fact that you don’t hear it regularly in everyday conversation is precisely why I said it was rare.
After consulting my Japanese fiancé, she tells me that one can more often hear it in business settings in Japan. 確かにそうかもしれない、、、
But as you said, both words are not difficult for native speakers.