The feature change that occurs when the word Incomplete is pronounced [Inkemplit] is

• A. [+nasal] becomes [+oral]
• B. [+voicing] becomes [-voicing]
• C. [+alveolar] becomes [+velar]
• D. [place] changes from bilabial to labiodental

Answer: (C)

In this item, the pattern being tested is place of articulation changing due to assimilation across adjacent consonants. When the word is spoken as part of a connected sequence, the alveolar nasal before the following velar stop tends to shift its place of articulation to match the upcoming sound. So the nasal that would normally be produced with the tip of the tongue at the alveolar ridge [n] becomes the velar nasal [ŋ] before the velar stop [k]. That yields a pronunciation like [ɪŋkəmplit], where the sequence shows a velar nasal before the velar stop. The important point is that the place of articulation changes from alveolar to velar for the nasal, while its nasality and voicing stay the same. This is why the correct interpretation is a change in place of articulation from alveolar to velar.