Why the word stick have a long I sound?

The word "stick" has a long "i" sound because of a phenomenon called vowel shift, which has been happening in the English language for centuries.

Here's a breakdown:

* Old English: The word "stick" originally came from the Old English word "stīc," which was pronounced with a long "i" sound, similar to the "ee" sound in "see."

* Middle English: During the Middle English period (roughly 1150-1500), a major vowel shift occurred. This shift affected the pronunciation of many vowels, including the long "i" sound. It shifted from a long "ee" sound to a short "i" sound, similar to the "i" in "sit."

* Modern English: However, the word "stick" remained with the long "i" sound even though other words with the "i" vowel shifted to the short sound. This is thought to be due to the fact that the word "stick" was frequently used in everyday speech and thus its pronunciation stayed consistent.

In essence, the long "i" sound in "stick" is a historical quirk, a result of the complex evolution of the English language.