Is rug a short U vowel sound?

No, the vowel sound in "rug" is not a short U sound. It's a short A sound.

Think of the word "uh-huh" - the sound in "uh" is similar to the vowel sound in "rug".

Here's how it works:

* Short U: As in "cup", "sun", "fun" (sounds like "uh")

* Short A: As in "cat", "hat", "ran" (sounds like "ah")

So, the vowel sound in "rug" is closer to "ah" than "uh".