Here's why:
* "Because" has a short "e" sound. The "e" sound in "because" is similar to the "e" in "bed" or "let."
* Long vowels are typically represented with a single vowel followed by a silent "e" at the end of a word. For example, "kite" has a long "i" sound.
So, "because" has a short vowel sound, making it a short vowel word.