* The vowel sound: The vowel sound in "mule" is the long "u" sound, similar to the "u" in "flute" or "rule."
* Short vowel sounds: Short vowel sounds are typically represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u, but they have a distinct, shorter sound, as in "cat," "bed," "big," "hot," and "sun."
Since "mule" has a long "u" sound, it does not have a short vowel sound.