encourage vs lead

encourage is not a noun while lead is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
encourage	No	No	Yes	No
lead	Yes	No	Yes	No

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

Other hyponyms of encourage include connive at, wink at, cultivate, foster, further, spur, help, carry, feed, conduce, contribute.

encourage (noun)	lead (noun)
	the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
	a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
	a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
	thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
	restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
	the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
	an advantage held by a competitor in a race
	evidence pointing to a possible solution
	a news story of major importance
	the introductory section of a story
	an indication of potential opportunity
	(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
	an actor who plays a principal role
	(sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
	the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
	mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
	a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey

encourage (verb)	lead (verb)
spur on	cause to undertake a certain action
inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to	preside over
contribute to the progress or growth of	lead, as in the performance of a composition
	travel in front of; go in advance of others
	take somebody somewhere
	move ahead (of others) in time or space
	be in charge of
	be conducive to
	stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
	be ahead of others; be the first
	cause something to pass or lead somewhere
	lead, extend, or afford access
	produce as a result or residue
	tend to or result in