Here's why:
* The vowel sound in "change" is the same as the vowel sound in "cat," "man," and "hand." This is a short vowel sound.
* Long vowel sounds are typically represented by a vowel followed by a silent "e" at the end of a word (like "change"). However, in this case, the "e" is not silent and creates a different sound entirely.
Therefore, the vowel sound in "change" is a short "a" sound.