Here's why:
* Long vowels typically have the same sound as the vowel's name (e.g., "a" in "cake", "e" in "tree").
* The "ee" in "freeze" represents a diphthong, which is a combination of two vowel sounds. The vowel sound in "freeze" is closer to the "e" in "see" or "bee", not the long "e" sound.
Therefore, "freeze" has a short vowel sound.