The most common vowel in Danian. Primitive short [ă] was generally preserved in both dialects, and also developed when short [ŏ] became [a] in Primitive Danian. Sometimes [a] could mutate to other vowels. For example, [a] became [e] before following [i], similar to the i-mutation of Noldorin and Ilkorin.

In the Ossiriandic dialect, [a] can only be short, since long [ā] became [ǭ] in Primitive Danian (PE19/25-6). It could appear in the East Danian dialect, since [ǣ] became [ā] in East Danian (PE19/25). Note that a possible counter-example is the name Dân (LR/215), but in most places Tolkien wrote this name with a short [ă]: Dan.