Here's why:
* Short vowel sound: The "i" in "bite" has a short vowel sound, similar to the "i" in "bit" or "fit".
* Long vowel sound: A long vowel sound is typically represented by a vowel followed by a silent "e" at the end of a word, like "bite" vs. "bite".
* Diphthong: The "i" in "bite" actually makes a diphthong sound, which means it combines two vowel sounds. The sound starts with the "i" sound in "bit" and slides into the "e" sound in "bee".
Let me know if you'd like to explore other vowel sounds!