Here's why:
* Short vowel sounds are typically represented by a single vowel letter and followed by one or two consonants. Think of words like "cat," "dog," "pen," or "sun."
* "Ponds" has a long vowel sound in the "o" because it's followed by a consonant and then a silent "s." The "o" makes a long "o" sound, similar to the "o" in "home" or "go."
Therefore, "ponds" is not a short vowel word, but rather a long vowel word.