cause vs persuade

cause is a noun but persuade is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cause	Yes	No	Yes	No
persuade	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, persuade is a hyponym of cause; that is, persuade is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than cause:

cause: cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner
persuade: cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm

Other hyponyms of cause include decide, bring, solicit, encourage, let, lead, inspire, instigate, prompt, suborn, compel, obligate, oblige.

cause (noun)	persuade (noun)
any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results
a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
a justification for something existing or happening
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

cause (verb)	persuade (verb)
cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner	cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm
give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally	win approval or support for