Here's why:
* Short Vowel Sound: The vowel "e" in "eat" makes a short vowel sound, similar to the sound in "pet" or "bed".
* Long Vowel Words: Long vowel words typically have a vowel sound that is the same as the letter name. For example, "eat" would be a long vowel word if it sounded like "ee-at".
Let me know if you'd like to explore other vowel sounds!