Here's why:
* Short vowel sound: The "ea" in "stealth" makes a short "e" sound, similar to the "e" in "bet".
* Long vowel sound: A long vowel sound is typically represented by a single vowel letter followed by a silent "e" at the end of the word (like "make", "time", "hope") or by a double vowel (like "moon", "feet", "rain").
Therefore, "stealth" has a short vowel sound, not a long vowel sound.