Does English word stress follow fixed rules?
Only partly: the shifting suffixes are reliable enough to be worth memorising and the neutral endings usually leave the stress alone, but both groups have exceptions, so treat a pattern as a first guess and one dictionary recording as the check.
Only partly, and it is worth knowing which half is which. Suffixes such as -tion, -ity, -ic and -graphy move the stress to a predictable position: the syllable just before the ending, or for -graphy and -logy three syllables from the end. Neutral endings such as -hood, -ship, -ness, -able and -er usually leave the stress where the root already had it, which is why TEACH, TEACHer and TEACHing keep the same stressed syllable.
Both groups have exceptions, so a pattern is a first guess rather than a guarantee. Say the word from the pattern, then play one dictionary recording and compare only the position of the stress. When a word refuses the pattern — development and analysis are two common ones — write it in an exception log with the syllable the dictionary actually stresses, instead of trying to hold a longer rule in your head.
English Word Stress and Suffixes: A Small Table That Works While You Speak →