Here's why:
* The vowel sound in "battle" is a short "a" sound, like in "cat" or "hat."
* Long vowel sounds are typically associated with a vowel letter followed by a silent "e" at the end of a word or a vowel digraph (two vowels together). Examples of long vowel sounds are "ate," "tree," and "boat."
Therefore, "battle" has a short vowel sound, making it a short vowel word.