Here's why:
* Short vowels are typically represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u in words like "cat", "bed", "hit", "hot", and "cup". They have a short, quick sound.
* The vowel sound in "axe" is a long "a" sound. It's pronounced similar to the "a" in "ate" or "cake".
Therefore, "axe" has a long vowel sound, not a short vowel sound.