Here's why:
* Short e sound: The short e sound is represented by the letter "e" in words like "bed", "pen", and "met". It has a short, sharp sound.
* Elephant's vowel sound: The vowel sound in "elephant" is a long e sound, which is represented by the letter "e" followed by a silent "e" at the end of the word.
So, while the word "elephant" contains the letter "e," it doesn't have the short e sound.