* Short vowels are typically followed by a consonant in a single syllable.
* "Alligator" has multiple syllables and the vowel sounds in the word are not short.
Let's break down the syllables and vowel sounds:
* Al-li-ga-tor
* "Al" - the "a" is long, as in "father"
* "Li" - the "i" is short, as in "sit"
* "Ga" - the "a" is short, as in "cat"
* "Tor" - the "o" is short, as in "hot"
So, while some of the vowels in "alligator" are short, the word as a whole doesn't fit the definition of a short vowel word.