Here's why:
* The vowel sound in "ginger" is a short "i" sound, like in "pin" or "win".
* Long vowel sounds are typically associated with a vowel that is followed by a silent "e" or a consonant that makes the vowel sound long. For example, "bite", "cone", "bake".
So, while "ginger" has the letter "i" in it, it doesn't have a long vowel sound.