Here's why:
* Short Vowel Sound: The vowel sound in "ugly" is a short "u" sound, similar to the sound in "up" or "cup."
* Long Vowel Sound: A long vowel sound is typically associated with a vowel that is pronounced like its name (e.g., "a" in "ate", "e" in "be", "i" in "pie", "o" in "go", "u" in "cube").
Therefore, the vowel sound in "ugly" is a short vowel sound, not a long vowel sound.