Concept:The underlined a in sprang /spræŋ/ is the short vowel /æ/, as in cat and man.Solution:Find the vowel sound in each option:A. sprayed: /eɪ/ (as in day), a long soundB. struck: /ʌ/ (as in cup)C. slew: /uː/ (as in blue)D. splashed: /æ/ ✓ (as in cat)Only "splashed" has the same short /æ/ as "sprang".Key point: "sprayed" looks closest in spelling, but its vowel is /eɪ/, not /æ/.Answer:Option D (splashed)