diff --git a/ethers-core/src/abi/human_readable.rs b/ethers-core/src/abi/human_readable.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfadb02a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethers-core/src/abi/human_readable.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,286 @@
+use super::{
+    param_type::Reader, Abi, Event, EventParam, Function, Param, ParamType, StateMutability,
+};
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use thiserror::Error;
+
+/// Parses a "human readable abi" string vector
+///
+/// ```
+/// use ethers::contract::abi;
+///
+/// let abi = abi::parse([
+///     "function x() external view returns (uint256)",
+/// ]).unwrap()
+/// ```
+pub fn parse(input: &[&str]) -> Result<Abi, ParseError> {
+    let mut abi = Abi {
+        constructor: None,
+        functions: HashMap::new(),
+        events: HashMap::new(),
+        receive: false,
+        fallback: false,
+    };
+
+    for line in input {
+        if line.starts_with("function") {
+            let function = parse_function(&line)?;
+            abi.functions
+                .entry(function.name.clone())
+                .or_default()
+                .push(function);
+        } else if line.starts_with("event") {
+            let event = parse_event(&line)?;
+            abi.events
+                .entry(event.name.clone())
+                .or_default()
+                .push(event);
+        } else if line.starts_with("struct") {
+            panic!("Got tuple");
+        } else {
+            panic!("unknown sig")
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(abi)
+}
+
+fn parse_event(event: &str) -> Result<Event, ParseError> {
+    let split: Vec<&str> = event.split("event ").collect();
+    let split: Vec<&str> = split[1].split('(').collect();
+    let name = split[0];
+    let rest = split[1];
+
+    let args = rest.replace(")", "");
+    let anonymous = rest.contains("anonymous");
+
+    let inputs = if args.contains(",") {
+        let args: Vec<&str> = args.split(", ").collect();
+        args.iter()
+            .map(|arg| parse_event_arg(arg))
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<EventParam>, _>>()?
+    } else {
+        vec![]
+    };
+
+    Ok(Event {
+        name: name.to_owned(),
+        anonymous,
+        inputs,
+    })
+}
+
+// Parses an event's argument as indexed if neded
+fn parse_event_arg(param: &str) -> Result<EventParam, ParseError> {
+    let tokens: Vec<&str> = param.split(" ").collect();
+    let kind: ParamType = Reader::read(tokens[0])?;
+    let (name, indexed) = if tokens.len() == 2 {
+        (tokens[1], false)
+    } else {
+        (tokens[2], true)
+    };
+
+    Ok(EventParam {
+        name: name.to_owned(),
+        kind,
+        indexed,
+    })
+}
+
+fn parse_function(fn_string: &str) -> Result<Function, ParseError> {
+    let fn_string = fn_string.to_owned();
+    let delim = if fn_string.starts_with("function ") {
+        "function "
+    } else {
+        " "
+    };
+    let split: Vec<&str> = fn_string.split(delim).collect();
+    let split: Vec<&str> = split[1].split("(").collect();
+
+    // function name is the first char
+    let fn_name = split[0];
+
+    // internal args
+    let args: Vec<&str> = split[1].split(")").collect();
+    let args: Vec<&str> = args[0].split(", ").collect();
+    dbg!(&args);
+    let inputs = args
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|x| !x.is_empty())
+        .filter(|x| !x.contains("returns"))
+        .map(|x| parse_param(x))
+        .collect::<Result<Vec<Param>, _>>()?;
+
+    // return value
+    let outputs: Vec<Param> = if split.len() > 2 {
+        let ret = split[2].strip_suffix(")").expect("no right paren");
+        let ret: Vec<&str> = ret.split(", ").collect();
+
+        dbg!(&ret);
+        ret.into_iter()
+            // remove modifiers etc
+            .filter(|x| !x.is_empty())
+            .map(|x| parse_param(x))
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<Param>, _>>()?
+    } else {
+        vec![]
+    };
+
+    Ok(Function {
+        name: fn_name.to_owned(),
+        inputs,
+        outputs,
+        // this doesn't really matter
+        state_mutability: StateMutability::Nonpayable,
+    })
+}
+
+// address x
+fn parse_param(param: &str) -> Result<Param, ParseError> {
+    dbg!(&param);
+    let mut param = param
+        .split(" ")
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|x| !x.contains("memory") || !x.contains("calldata"));
+
+    let kind = param.next().ok_or(ParseError::Kind)?;
+    let kind: ParamType = Reader::read(kind).unwrap();
+
+    // strip memory/calldata from the name
+    // e.g. uint256[] memory x
+    let mut name = param.next().unwrap_or_default();
+    if name == "memory" || name == "calldata" {
+        name = param.next().ok_or(ParseError::Kind)?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(Param {
+        name: name.to_owned(),
+        kind,
+    })
+}
+
+#[derive(Error, Debug)]
+pub enum ParseError {
+    #[error("expected data type")]
+    Kind,
+
+    #[error(transparent)]
+    ParseError(#[from] super::Error),
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parses_approve() {
+        let fn_str = "function approve(address _spender, uint256 value) external returns(bool)";
+        let parsed = parse_function(fn_str).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parsed.name, "approve");
+        assert_eq!(parsed.inputs[0].name, "_spender");
+        assert_eq!(parsed.inputs[0].kind, ParamType::Address,);
+        assert_eq!(parsed.inputs[1].name, "value");
+        assert_eq!(parsed.inputs[1].kind, ParamType::Uint(256),);
+        assert_eq!(parsed.outputs[0].name, "");
+        assert_eq!(parsed.outputs[0].kind, ParamType::Bool);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parses_function_arguments_return() {
+        let fn_str = "function foo(uint32[] memory x) external view returns (address)";
+        let parsed = parse_function(fn_str).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parsed.name, "foo");
+        assert_eq!(parsed.inputs[0].name, "x");
+        assert_eq!(
+            parsed.inputs[0].kind,
+            ParamType::Array(Box::new(ParamType::Uint(32)))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(parsed.outputs[0].name, "");
+        assert_eq!(parsed.outputs[0].kind, ParamType::Address);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parses_function_empty() {
+        let fn_str = "function foo()";
+        let parsed = parse_function(fn_str).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(parsed.name, "foo");
+        assert!(parsed.inputs.is_empty());
+        assert!(parsed.outputs.is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parses_event() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_event("event Foo(address indexed x, uint y, bytes32[] z)").unwrap(),
+            Event {
+                anonymous: false,
+                name: "Foo".to_owned(),
+                inputs: vec![
+                    EventParam {
+                        name: "x".to_owned(),
+                        kind: ParamType::Address,
+                        indexed: true
+                    },
+                    EventParam {
+                        name: "y".to_owned(),
+                        kind: ParamType::Uint(256),
+                        indexed: false,
+                    },
+                    EventParam {
+                        name: "z".to_owned(),
+                        kind: ParamType::Array(Box::new(ParamType::FixedBytes(32))),
+                        indexed: false,
+                    },
+                ]
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parses_anonymous_event() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_event("event Foo() anonymous").unwrap(),
+            Event {
+                anonymous: true,
+                name: "Foo".to_owned(),
+                inputs: vec![],
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_event_input() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_event_arg("address indexed x").unwrap(),
+            EventParam {
+                name: "x".to_owned(),
+                kind: ParamType::Address,
+                indexed: true
+            }
+        );
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_event_arg("address x").unwrap(),
+            EventParam {
+                name: "x".to_owned(),
+                kind: ParamType::Address,
+                indexed: false
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn can_parse_functions() {
+        [
+            "function foo(uint256[] memory x) external view returns (address)",
+            "function bar(uint256[] memory x) returns (address)",
+            "function bar(uint256[] memory x, uint32 y) returns (address, uint256)",
+            "function bar(uint256[] memory x)",
+            "function bar()",
+        ]
+        .iter()
+        .for_each(|x| {
+            parse_function(x).unwrap();
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ethers-core/src/abi/mod.rs b/ethers-core/src/abi/mod.rs
index 437717e50..ac49ef01c 100644
--- a/ethers-core/src/abi/mod.rs
+++ b/ethers-core/src/abi/mod.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ pub use ethabi::*;
 mod tokens;
 pub use tokens::{Detokenize, InvalidOutputType, Tokenizable, TokenizableItem, Tokenize};
 
+mod human_readable;
+pub use human_readable::parse as parse_abi;
+
 /// Extension trait for `ethabi::Function`.
 pub trait FunctionExt {
     /// Compute the method signature in the standard ABI format. This does not