Here's why:
* The vowel sound in "cage" is a short "a" sound, similar to the "a" in "cat." It's represented by the symbol /æ/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
* Long vowel sounds are typically associated with a single vowel letter followed by a silent "e" at the end of a word (like "name," "hope," "kite"). "Cage" does not have this structure.
Let me know if you'd like to explore other vowel sounds!