confront vs encounter

confront is not a noun while encounter is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
confront	No	No	Yes	No
encounter	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, encounter is a hypernym of confront; that is, encounter is a word with a broader meaning than confront:

Other hypernyms of confront include meet, play, take on.

confront (noun)	encounter (noun)
	a minor short-term fight
	a casual meeting with a person or thing
	a hostile disagreement face-to-face
	a casual or unexpected convergence

confront (verb)	encounter (verb)
deal with (something unpleasant) head on	contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize	come together
oppose, as in hostility or a competition	come upon, as if by accident; meet with
be face to face with	be beset by
	experience as a reaction