Linear B does not consistently distinguish between voiced and unvoiced stop consonants (except in the dental series) and between aspirated and unaspirated stops even when these distinctions are phonemic in Mycenaean Greek. For example, "pa-te" is "patēr" (), "pa-si" is "phāsi" (); "p" on the other hand some times does not represent (like in the beginning of the following word) ("basileus", meaning in this period "court official or local chieftain") is "qa-si-re-u"); "ko-ru" is "korus" (, "helmet"), "ka-ra-we" is "grāwes" (plural of ), "ko-no" is "skhoinos" ("rope"). Exceptionally, however, the dentals are represented by a "t"-series and a "d"-series for unvoiced and voiced: "to-so" for "tosos" ( or ) but "do-ra" for "dōra" (plural of , "gift"). Aspiration, however, is not marked: "to-ra-ke" for "thōrākes" (plural of , "breastplate"). In other cases aspiration can be marked but is optional: "pu-te" for "phutēr" ("planter", from ), but "phu-te-re" for "phutēres" ("planters"). Initial aspiration may be marked only in the case of initial "a" and rarely: "ha-te-ro" for "hateron" (masculine ), and yet "a-ni-ja" for "hāniai" ().