In research methodology also, these words were used with different meanings by different authors, and there is sufficient confusion now.
One view is that in theory building, a set of assumptions are developed and from these assumption through deduction, theoretical propositions are created. From these propositions, once again through deduction hypothesis is derived. This hypothesis is now tested. This explanation is given in a nice way in a summary of "A Primer of Theory Construction" http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/soc401theory.html
It was made clear that theory has to use abstract concepts which are applicable over time and space and hypothesis has to use variables which are present in the observation to be made now.
But a slightly different explanation which does not use the word proposition is given in
the research methodology course material on economics by Prof. Yang. http://www.csus.edu/indiv/y/yangy/econ145.htm
Wikipedia note on hypothesis follows Yang's way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis
My preference is for the first explantion. Theory builder first builds a theoretical proposition out of abstract concepts and then derives the hypothesis.
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