Often i have encountered the phrases $x$ square and $x$ squared for $x^2$.
My question is: Are both the phrases correct or is any one of them incorrect. If both of them are correct, is there any difference between their meaning and their usage or are both the same is meaning and have the same usage?
Best Answer
The expression $b^2 = b ⋅ b$ is called "the square of b".
It is pronounced "b squared".
The expression $b^3 = b ⋅ b ⋅ b$ is called "the cube of b".
It is pronounced "b cubed".
For more exponents, the expression (for example) $3^5 = 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 ⋅ 3 = 243$ is called the fifth power of $3$, $3$ raised to the fifth power, or $3$ to the power of $5$.
The word "raised" is usually omitted, and very often "power" as well, so $3^5$ is typically pronounced "three to the fifth" or "three to the five". Therefore, the exponentiation $b^n$ can be read as $b$ raised to the $n-th$ power, or $b$ raised to the power of $n$, or $b$ raised by the exponent of $n$, or most briefly as $b$ to the $n$.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponentiation