The shear strength of intermittent joints in rock masses is significantly influenced by the stability of blocky rock system. The connection rate for a single rock joint is crucial for mechanical properties, such as shear strength. To examine the impact of connectivity rate on the structural strength and fracture evolution of intermittent joints, direct shear test is conducted on artificial coplanar intermittent joints with various connectivity rates under numerous different normal stresses. In this paper, a number of theoretical criteria for predicting the shear strength of intermittent joints have been put forth, with the Jennings criterion being the most popular. While the stress distribution and end effect are not taken into consideration, the Jennings criterion simply averages the mechanical properties of the joint surface and rock bridge to determine similar mechanical parameters. The effect of modifications is assessed through comparisons between the shear test data and the modified Jennings criterion. It is demonstrated that the modified Jennings criterion can accurately forecast the shear strength of the rock masses because the computed results closely match our expectations.