Wiktionary
short vowel
n. In languages that distinguish vowel length, a vowel which is normally pronounced shorter than a long vowel.
Usage examples of "short vowel".
For words beginning with a consonant, a vowel in partial harmony is added to the prefix (the corresponding short vowel or the first part of the diphthong in the root).
Where the last syllable but one contains (as often) a short vowel followed by only one (or no) consonant, the stress falls on the syllable before it, the third from the end.
She managed to pronounce the word speak with a short vowel sound, hinting at that cultural slur again.