Here's why:
* The "a" in "baking" makes a short "a" sound, like in "cat" or "hat".
* Long vowel sounds are typically associated with a single vowel followed by a silent "e" or a vowel digraph (like "ee", "ai", "oa").
So, while the word "baking" has a vowel combination ("ai"), it doesn't make a long vowel sound.