The way I've heard those distinguished in spoken math is x + b^2 is said "x plus b squared" and (x + b)^2 is said "x plus b all squared. There's a similar approach for divide "x plus b over 8" vs "x plus b all over 8". That was often enough but if it wasn't you'd be reduced to pronouncing brackets.
Using postfix operations in the Way of Forth would be unambiguous and of course otherwise superior as well as is well known [citation needed]. “x b plus squared” vs “x b squared plus”. Well, at least as long as it’s agreed on whether “x b” means two variables or one with a two-letter name. But the latter don’t really exist in math. You just expand to new alphabets when you run out of letters.
