Here's why:
* Short vowels have a short, clipped sound, like the "a" in "cat" or the "i" in "big."
* "Silent" has a long "i" sound, similar to the "i" in "bike." Long vowels are typically associated with two letters, such as a vowel followed by a consonant (like "ai" in "rain") or a vowel followed by a silent "e" (like "ate").
Therefore, "silent" is a word with a long vowel sound, not a short vowel sound.