Mantras

I have a few questions for anyone who does meditation with a mantra.

Do you use a word or a phrase?
Is it an actual word or a specific sound?
Do you speak it aloud or in your head?
Do you have a favorite mantra?

This is a very interesting set of questions. I have to ask how long do you feel a mantra should be? Because to answer this I have to know if what I use for my morning meditations counts as a mantra lol

(1) I use a phrase.
(2) In theory, they are actual words, but it's also Sanskrit as pronounced by Japanese speakers, so it might as well just be sounds. But I do know what it's supposed to mean.
(3) Usually just in my head. Sometimes, I say it out loud to clear my thoughts or to force myself to concentrate.
(4) I'm not sure if "favorite" is the right word, but yes, I have mantra that I use more often than others. (It feels more like I have other mantras that I sometimes use.) My experience is that having a primary mantra means that it is easier to use that mantra to adjust my own mental space under stress: It's a bit of self-hypnosis and having the signals be otherwise consistent is very helpful.

(1) I use phrases, some my own and some from the Doctrine
(2) I haven't used sounds, always words or phrases
(3) I usually speak them in my head, but occasionally I'll speak them aloud
(4) I have a couple:
"Right here, right now, right action."
"This step, on this path, in this moment."

You can also steal pretty much anything Chirrut Imwe says in Rogue One

Both phrases and specific sounds. Sometimes I will use a bija associated with a particular energy center or quality, but more often it'll be something like, "Emotion, yet peace." Normally just in my head. Once in a while it's fun to say them out loud and have bystanders wonder what I'm up to. (Courtroom is not the best place for that, don't ask me how I know.)

(1.) I will use a combination of either words or phrases depending on the type of mediation I am using, but most often it is a phrase.
(2.) I have tried sounds before and yeah, that's just not my slice of cheese.
(3.) I typically say it in my head. I save saying it out loud for those out of control chaotic moments.
(4.) I typically do the same style as Senan and Atticus. My morning mantra is the "May all being be happy and free and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute, in some way, to the happiness and freedom for all. "