# encounter vs encountered

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### encounter
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈkaʊntə/ · frequency rank #4,596*
To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.

### encountered
*verb · IPA /ɪnˈkaʊntɚd/ · frequency rank #6,466*
simple past and past participle of encounter

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/encounter-vs-encountered