Here's why:
* Long vowels are typically pronounced the same way as their letter name (e.g., "a" in "cake", "e" in "see", "i" in "bike", "o" in "go", "u" in "cube").
* In "compete", the vowel "e" is pronounced like a short "e" sound, as in "pet" or "bed".
Therefore, "compete" is not a long vowel word.