* Different approaches: Phonetic transcription systems like the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) use specific symbols for each vowel sound, regardless of length.
* Context matters: In many writing systems, including English, vowel length is often implied by surrounding letters or rules rather than explicit symbols. For example, "cat" has a short "a" sound, while "cake" has a long "a" sound.
* Language variations: What's considered a "short" vowel in one language might be considered a "long" vowel in another.
How to indicate short vowels:
* IPA: The IPA chart uses unique symbols for each vowel sound, so the specific symbol for a short vowel would depend on the language and specific vowel sound.
* Diacritics: In some contexts, diacritics like a breve (˘) or a macron (¯) are used to indicate short and long vowels, respectively.
* Context: As mentioned, often the surrounding letters and grammatical rules help determine vowel length in written English.
Let me know if you have a specific language or phonetic transcription system in mind, and I might be able to provide a more specific answer!