A thin-film magnetic head for writing information in and reading information from a track of a magnetic recording medium in which the head comprises a magnetically permeable yoke having two limbs between which a writing and reading gap is formed. In a construction in which the limbs of the yoke are opposite to each other, one limb is interrupted by a gap which is bridged by a magneto-resistive reading element. In a construction in which the limbs of the yoke overlap each other at the area of the writing/reading gap, they are bridged by a magneto-resistive reading element in another place.